The Human Diaries
by xXbrymlXx
Summary: The Mikaelson Family are finally happy with their friends and their lives. But what happens when their mother shows up out of the blue? Will their lives take a turn for the worst? What about all this other drama with their friends? Human AU. Klaroline, Mabekah, Delena, Kalijah, Kennett, Sinn, Jalaric, Janna, Parkwood, and more.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello TVD fandom! This is my first TVD story so please be kind. I know there's been a lot of human AU's but I wanted to try one of my own. So let's see where this goes!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries**

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Matt Donovan was a handsome young man. He was also one of the kindest souls you'd ever meet. Pretty popular too, as he was the quarterback of the Mystic Falls football team. Unfortunately, life was never so kind to him. His dad died when he was a baby from a car accident. That left him with his mother and his older sister Vicky. After his dad died, his mom took a turn to alcohol. She never really watched her kids, which is why Matt and Vicky spent most of their childhood with the Gilberts. When Matt was thirteen, his mom got a boyfriend. She would disappear with him for months at a time. That left Vicky in charge. But it got too hard on her that she turned to drugs. Matt had to pick up the weight, get a job once he turned 15. He loved his sister, he really did, she was the only person for him even when she was on drugs. He took care of her. She took care of him, in her own way. They were all each other had. Until Vicky had overdosed. Matt found her in the bathroom and felt his world crumble down. After the funeral, he told his mom to either step up or get out of his life. She tried to get better, but Matt sent her away anyway. He was only sixteen and completely alone. He had to pay bills and was failing three classes. But he had his friends to help him as much as they could. He had dated Elena Gilbert for a year, but when her parents died, she dumped him. He had a hard time with that too.

In Senior Year, he met a girl whose life was just as messed up as his too. She had long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. She was sarcastic and a little mean, but very smart and funny. She had her secrets too. No matter how strong she looked, deep down she was broken. All she wanted was to be loved. Her family has their problems, but they love each other. Rebekah Mikaelson was that girl. She at first tried to seduce Matt to be popular; she had thought he was just another dumbass douche she had to give her heart to. But when he gave her his jacket during the football game and it was 30 degrees out, and held doors open for her, and didn't try to get in her pants on the first date, didn't even kiss her until she initiated it, she realized that he was different. Her heart fluttered when she thought about him, and little did she know that he felt the same way. She was a bright light in his life. Her smile fixed every problem he had. Her touch was fire on his skin, and kiss was toxic. He loved her. He knew he did. That was why when she finally told him her family problems, he wanted to hurt someone and Matt would never hurt anyone.

Rebekah came from a large family; her parents and six brothers. There was Esther and Mikael, her mom and dad. Neither would ever win parent of the year award, but we'll get to that later. Her brothers included Aaron, who died from sickness when he was five, Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, and Henrik, who died due to a car crash four years prior to the family moving from London, England to Mystic Falls, Virginia. Rebekah was closest to Klaus, but she and all her brothers had a strong bond. It was only because their father Mikael was an abusive alcoholic. And sadly, Klaus was the center of his anger. When Klaus was six years old he had a broken leg from jumping off the stairs, and he had to have a blood test. It turned out he wasn't Mikael's biological son. Instead of leaving Esther, who had an affair, he took it out on a poor, innocent child. Everything and anything Klaus did, he would get beaten or yelled at. Even for stuff he didn't do, Mikael just assumed it was him. Elijah couldn't take seeing his baby brother get hurt, so he started taking blame for a lot of stuff. Rebekah and Kol eventually followed along. Finn, being the logical one, tried to distract his father while his siblings cleaned up whatever mess they made. The saddest part was their mother not doing anything, and leaving them when Rebekah was eleven, only to come back five years later and move them all to America. Even though Finn, Elijah and Klaus were all in college, Finn almost finished, they were forced to stop their studies just to start all over in a new country. Kol and Rebekah had to say goodbye to their friends. Let's just say that the Mikaelsons hated their parents with a burning passion. Their parents are the reason why their youngest three get in trouble and don't show love. Kol hasn't said "I love you" to either of his parents since he was eight. Since their parents don't really love them, the five siblings take care of each other. Their fondest memories was swimming in the lake, and going to festivals together. Besides being protective of each other, they also have a habit of bickering too much but I guess all siblings do that.

Soon after the Mikaelsons moved to Mystic Falls, their dad died of alcohol poisoning. The siblings didn't even shed one tear between them at his funeral. Esther tried to pick up the damage of her family, only to have all her children give her the silent treatment. She still kept trying. Finn was the first to forgive her, then Rebekah and Elijah, but Kol and Klaus have a hard time even looking at her for taking their father back after what he did to her "precious children."

All of the kids got their happily ever after eventually. Almost right away after they moved to Mystic Falls, Finn met a redhead girl in a coffee shop. Her name was Sage. They dated instantly, even if his siblings didn't particularly like her at first (especially Rebekah who doesn't trust anybody but her brothers.) They dated for three years, were engaged for 10 months, and have been married for four years. They have a two-year old son named Tate, who has his mom's red hair and the blue eyes he shares with his dad, Uncle Klaus and Aunt Rebekah (and Grandfather but nobody mentions that.) When Elijah was 23, he met Katherine Pierce. She was a college freshman, and one of the most liked women in Mystic Falls, not to mention the most beautiful woman Elijah had ever seen. She was just as stubborn and loved to play games as she was beautiful. But he eventually won her heart, which is a hard thing to do because Katherine loves faking pretty much everything, but she truly loves Elijah. Klaus became friends with Stefan Salvatore during college, and Stefan introduced Klaus to his long time friend Caroline Forbes. Klaus was smitten with Caroline right away, but she had just gone through a horrible breakup. He drew her a picture of a horse (her favorite animal) and wrote her a poem saying how he hopes she gets everything she wants in life. Klaus uses art to express his feelings, and Caroline loved that about him. She became his friend and eventually learned to love Klaus and his rogue ways. They've been together for four years. It took Kol a while to fall in love. He didn't believe in love, even when he saw his brothers in it. The only true love Kol has ever had was his baseball bat. He use to beat the fence with it and pretend it was his father. His baseball was his safe object, he could use it for his anger. He was also very good at regular baseball, not just defacing property. But Bonnie Bennett and her daughter Emma Gilbert changed his mind about love. Finally, Rebekah had met Matt when she was a Junior, and I think you know the story. They've been together for seven years, with a few breakups here and there but they're completely fine. All of them vowed to never be like their parents, and they're doing so good so far.

Now, here we are years and years later. Matthew Donovan is 25 years old now, he and Rebekah have been together for seven years and Matt makes one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make. He wants to ask her to marry him. He's actually quite scared about it to be honest. He knows Rebekah loves him, but he's still scared she'll say no. She opened up to him very early in their relationship, but she still has trust issues. Not with him, but he's just very anxious. Another thing he's nervous about is that he's asking her brothers for permission first. They might actually rip his head off. Seven years and he's still scared of all of them. It's not like they like him very much anyway. Well, Klaus doesn't.

Rebekah had told him that they were all at Klaus' (and Caroline's) house for the day. Rebekah was hanging out with Caroline and Elena for a while, but she told him that she'd meet him there afterwards. Which means he needs to ask them fast. Matt parked the car in the driveway, and took a deep breath. He walked up the steps to the front door. He knocked on the door, and it opened after a couple of seconds.

Kol was laughing while drinking a beer. He nodded at Matt and opened the door wider so he could come in.

"Hello Kol," Matt smiled gently.

"Matthew Donovan, my favorite.. Boyfriend of my sister." Matt chuckled.

"I need to ask you a question," Matt sighed.

"Shoot."

"All of you. Can you get your brothers here," he said when they reached the kitchen where Elijah and Finn were sitting at the table. They looked up at him and nodded.

"NIK! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" Kol yelled.

Within a minute, Klaus was coming down the stairs.  
"Matt," he said surprised. "I thought you were coming with Rebekah and Caroline."

"I'm meeting them here. I actually want to talk to you," Matt looked around at the four brothers.

"What about?" Elijah asked.

Matt took another breath,  
"I know that maybe I'm stupid to be even asking this, and I guess I'm very old-fashioned and since her dad is, nevermind, I'm asking you. And I know you guys don't like me very much, but I really love your sister. I guess what I'm trying to ask is if it'd be okay if I.. Ask her to marry me." Matt stuttered the whole time but once he was done talking he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in relief.

"It's not that I don't like you, Matt. I'm just very protective of my little sister," Kol was the first to speak up. "But you make Rebekah very happy, and that's what she deserves. You're what she deserves."

Elijah was the second to speak, "I've always liked you, you're a good man Matt. If you want to spend the rest of your life with her, and if she feels the same, I don't see why not you can't marry her."

Finn nodded, "I agree. Just don't hurt her, but I'm pretty sure she can hurt you herself."

Matt smiled graciously at the three of them. But the brother whose opinion meant the most was Klaus, because he was the closest to Rebekah, and the one who Matt was actually afraid of. He looked at Klaus, who was staring at Matt.

"Niklaus," Elijah acknowledged.

Klaus sighed, "Honestly?" Matt nodded. "I've always thought that you were the best thing that's ever happened to her."

Matt grinned, "Really?"

"Yes, really." Klaus nodded.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was the sound of the front door opening. Rebekah walked down the hall and into the kitchen. She grinned when she saw Matt, and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. He kissed her forehead as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Go get a room," Kol threw a grape at his sister. She stuck her tongue out at him and rolled her eyes.

Klaus smiled when he saw Caroline walk into the kitchen. She smiled at him, and it was the smile that reminded Klaus that all their lives are better. And they'll continue to.

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**Cheesy ending to the prologue, I know. Honestly I don't even know where this story is going, but it's just a human alternate universe. Everyone's in their mid-to-late-twenties. And don't worry, the rest of the Mystic Falls gang will be introduced in the next chapter! As well as their stories, which don't worry won't be so tragic. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character as possible, but maybe not so much because they're not vampires lol. **

**Soo.. Please review, feedback is welcome! Follow or favorite if you want! Also, if you have any suggestions to what I should write about, I'm open to anything :)**

**Thanks for reading XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank all of you for the reviews, follows and favorites! It wasn't much but it was enough to get me to continue. I appreciate that people actually like this and want me to continue so thank you :)**

**Nooooowwww, this chapter we meet the rest of the characters and hear their story! Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of the canon characters**

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*Three Months Later*

Damon Salvatore was asleep on the black leather couch in the living room. He had been trying to work on a case he was put in charge of from the police station, but he was so damn tired that sleep captured him within minutes.

Yes, Damon Salvatore is a deputy. He's still quite shocked by it too. He decided to join the academy just because he knew he'd look attractive in a uniform (which he does,) but honestly, after graduating (and feeling quite proud that he actually finished something in his life,) and getting out into the field, he realized he enjoys it. He was a troubled teen himself, so he makes it his job to help teenagers who make mistakes learn from them before it's too late.

If you want to know what pulled Damon out of his dark years after his father died (murdered even,) just _don't _ask. He'll tell you eventually, if he wants you to know. Or if he even wants you to know what it is exactly he did. But I'll just tell you that it was his younger brother, Stefan. Their father died when Damon was seventeen and Stefan was fourteen. Damon was about to turn eighteen in a couple of weeks so Sheriff Forbes allowed Damon to become the official guardian of Stefan (since their mother left them soon after Stefan learned how to walk.) Damon made friends with Lorenzo Lawrence and Enzo was what you'd call the "wrong crowd." Not the type that did drugs or anything; although they did love drinking beer together, just not too dangerously, which is just kind of ironic considering the things they did. Robberies, vandalism, that kind of thing. Mystics Falls had a bunch of murders going around those years so Damon and Enzo got lucky they didn't get punished too badly (that is when they actually got caught). Just a lot of community service, like _a lot_. But after a few years of Damon throwing his future away (because he was going to get caught eventually) and Stefan couldn't take it anymore, Stefan finally decided to do something about it. Stefan was seventeen now, and he has always cared about his older brother, even if he didn't always show his love in return. He had a little help from his girlfriend Elena, because Damon always had a little soft spot for the brown-eyed beauty. They thankfully got through to him. Damon decided it was his turn to help his friend, but that was tougher because Enzo had been this way since he was fifteen. Every story doesn't have to have a happy ending, but this one does. Although Damon and Enzo aren't partners in crime anymore, they are partners _fighting _crime together.

Stefan is the more liked Salvatore brother, maybe because he's the nice one and always does the "right thing" or whatever. He's best friends with Lexi Branson, Caroline Forbes, and Klaus Mikaelson. He's also good friends with Bonnie, Bennett, Matt Donovan, Rebekah Mikaelson, Jeremy Gilbert, Katherine Pierce, and Elena Gilbert. Yes, Elena and Stefan are still friends after their nasty breakup. Okay, it wasn't _that _bad, but if after two years of dating your girlfriend dumped you because she had feelings for your brother, you'd feel pretty crappy right? But they were able to get past it and are now great friends. Another thing you should know about Stefan is that he's an alcoholic. He _never _did anything bad in high school, his friends even joked that he was the poster child for perfect behavior. But college, as well as his breakup with Elena, put a little stress on him. Okay, _a lot _of stress. It wasn't that he drank to dangerous lengths, just the smallest amounts was too much for him to handle. Indeed, this is how he met Lexi. He was passed out on the grass outside her dorm, and so she kicked him in the ribs. He thought she'd yell at him for being so careless, as he'd heard that she was the "Stefan Salvatore of Whitmore College." To his surprise, she was sympathetic, which was much worse in his opinion. He did _not _want anyone's pity. More to his surprise, she wanted to help him. On their journey to his sobriety, they became the best of friends. They tell each other everything, and are even in pre-med school together.

Next is the story of Elena Gilbert, the girl who was torn between two brothers, one good and one bad. Let's start from the beginning, shall we. Her parents, Miranda and Grayson Gilbert, drove off Wickery Bridge when she was sixteen. Her mother died instantly, and her father used his last moments to save his daughter. Elena always felt like it was her fault, she still does to this day. She has a younger brother named Jeremy, who she loves dearly and always tried to be the "best big sister ever." After her parents died, her maternal Aunt Jenna became hers' and Jeremy's legal guardian. Also soon after their deaths, Elena learned she was in fact adopted. Though, she doesn't fall far from the Gilbert family tree. Grayson had a younger brother John, who dated Isobel Flemming in high school. They're Elena's biological parents; they gave her up for adoption because they were both too young to take care of a child. Little did John know that his brother was the one to both deliver his child, and adopt her. He kept it a secret for seventeen years. Another thing, Elena wasn't the only baby; she had a twin, Katherine Pierce. They were separated at birth. Stefan was actually the one to reunite them; maybe that wasn't the smartest thing because they actually don't like each other, but accept the fact that they're sisters anyway. Elena dated Matt Donovan in Sophomore year, but she was never feeling it. Their mothers were best friends, so when his had a downfall, Matt and his sister Vicky spent most of their childhood with the Gilberts. Matt's that childhood friend you date because everyone thinks you'd look good together. She dumped him after her parents' death, and it devastated him, but they still love each other as best friends. She met Stefan in her Junior year, and they fell in love instantly. Their relationship was sweet, kind and gentle. She helped him get his older brother Damon back on the right track. Damon and Elena had a special bond since the moment they met, though no one- not even them, thought it'd become anything more than friendship. She tried to fight her feelings for him, and vice versa, but she couldn't. She broke up with Stefan shortly after she graduated high school. Her and Damon dated for two years, and when they went to Vegas one weekend, they did the most typical thing and eloped. They both wanted it, and things have worked out for them. As proof, it's five years later and they're as happy as ever with their three-year old son Christian Alexander.

"DADDY!" Christian squealed as he jumped onto the couch and attacked his father. Damon groaned as he opened his eyes, and saw bright blue eyes identical to his staring back at him. The only difference was that his son's eyes shone of innocence, while Damon's didn't.

Damon sat up and grabbed the little boy and tickled him.

"Daddy!" Christian whelped.

"This is what you get for waking Daddy up!" Damon grinned as he kissed his son's forehead. If there's one thing Damon loves more than Elena, it's their son. (And his Camaro is a pretty close second, but don't tell Elena.) Christian is a mini Damon in both looks and personality, but he still has the innocence and kindness that belongs to his mother.

"Okay that's enough, boys." The father and son duo turned to look at Elena, who was dressed all professional in a grey skirt, white dress shirt and a black blazer with her hair in a ponytail.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"I have a meeting for the newspaper," she answered. Elena has always enjoyed writing ever since her mom bought her diaries when she was a kid. She's now writing a book based on her life, but alternated to fit the fictional genre. Publishers really enjoyed it, and now she's somewhat of a celebrity (small town girl making it big.)

"Mommy's a celebrity!" Christian said excitedly and clapped his chubby fingers together.

"Yes she is, Chris." Damon nudged his son's cheek with his nose. "Aren't we proud of Mommy?" Christian nodded.

"Thanks guys," Elena smiled. Her eyes widened as she remembered, "Oh! Chris honey, Uncle Jeremy is coming over with Emma."

"YAY!" Chris exclaimed, standing up to jump off the couch. He ran across the living room, up the stairs, and into his room to throw some clothes on.

Emma Gilbert is the five-year old daughter of Jeremy Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. The couple had been together since Bonnie was eighteen and Jeremy was seventeen. They were twenty and nineteen when they got the surprise they were about to be parents. Their friends and family were supportive, so things worked out fine. Jeremy works as a construction worker, and Bonnie took some time off to be a mother but she's now back in college. She also has a part-time job as a bartender at The Grill (she's lucky that her best friend Matt was promoted to manager of The Grill.) Unfortunately, things didn't work out too well in Jeremy and Bonnie's relationship. They broke up about two years ago; nothing serious, just the fact that they're love was short-lived. They have joint custody of Emma- Bonnie has weekdays, and Jeremy has weekends, but they bend the rules more than half the time because of work and school schedules.

Bonnie Bennett is the best friend of Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes. She also grew up with Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood. Her parents are Rudy Hopkins and Abby Bennett, who divorced when she was nine. She promised Jeremy that they would never be like her parents, who are nothing but cruel to one another, and true to her word they're still great friends who just happen to have a child together. Bonnie was always close to her Grandmother Shelia, and was heartbroken when she died of a heart attack a few years back. Over a year after her break up with Jeremy, Bonnie met Kol Mikaelson. He was a professional baseball player, and kind of a jackass. But after she dropped all of her supplies and things on the ground, he helped pick them up. To both their surprise, a spark had ignited between them when their hands accidentally touched. She didn't know if she was ready to date again, but Kol showed her a side to him that she never thought would be there. She has a feeling that it was Emma who brought out that side to Kol, as they bonded right away.

Jeremy Gilbert is the younger brother to Elena. You know the story of his parents, and of his relationship with Bonnie. He never really had friends, but when he started dating Bonnie, Matt and Tyler became his best friends. Kol's also a good friend of his too; and he's actually very supportive of Kol and Bonnie's relationship. Jeremy had an "emo" and "druggie" phase after his parents died, but he snapped out of it when he saw what happened to Vicky Donovan, who he was secretly dating at the time. He never went to college, but makes a pretty good amount of money for working as a construction worker.

_Ring ring ring._

Jeremy sighed as he parked his car in front of the Salvatore Boarding House. He looked down at his phone and saw the word _Katherine_ flash up on the screen. He rolled his eyes, wondering what she wanted.

Before he could answer, Emma started kicking his seat. "Dad, we're here! Let me out now!"

"Hold on, Emma. Aunt Katherine is calling me," he told his daughter.

"Oooh! Can I talk to her? Please," she gave her biggest puppy dog eyes.

"In a minute," he said. He picked up his phone and clicked _answer. _"Hey Katherine, I can't talk right now."

"Hello to you too, little Gilbert," Katherine's voice said, the sarcasm dripping through her words.

"What do you want? I'm dropping Emma off at Elena and Damon's for the day."

"I just wanted to talk to my favorite cousin." After the news that Katherine and Elena were twins- that they were actually Jeremy's biological cousins- Jeremy still considered Elena his sister, and Katherine became his cousin. It was strange at first, but they all got used to it over the past eight years.

"About?"

"I just wanted to know if maybe you and Elena could come out to lunch with me and Elijah this weekend? You can bring the little rugrats with you."

"I'll have to talk to Elena, but sure."

"Great! Elijah's siblings are coming too."

Jeremy thought _now you tell me._ But he answered, "Awesome. See you then."

"Byeee," Katherine sang.

"Wait!" Jeremy remembered before he hang up.

"What?"

"Emma wants to talk to you." Emma, hearing her name, ripped her seatbelt off and climbed into the passengers' seat of Jeremy's car.

"Gimme!" she squealed, reaching for the phone. Jeremy handed Emma the phone. "Auntie Kathy-rin!"

Katherine Pierce is the biological daughter of John Gilbert and Isobel Flemming, the twin sister of Elena Gilbert, and cousin of Jeremy Gilbert. Her and Elena were both adopted separately: Elena by Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, and Katherine by Peter and Susan Pierce. The couple had just gotten married, and wanted to adopt a child as they couldn't have one of their own. They took one look at Katherine and knew she was the child for them. The Pierces lived in Mystic Falls for a few years, but then Peter got a job in New York. Katherine found out she was adopted when she was eleven; she was snooping through papers in her parents' study when she came across adoption papers. She was upset with her parents for years- hated them even, but when her mother got breast cancer she decided to actually give her parents a chance once again. Her mother got chemo and thankfully survived the cancer. They moved back to Mystic Falls when Katherine was fifteen. She met Stefan and Damon Salvatore and instantly was attracted to them. Stefan was sixteen and perfect, and Damon was nineteen and a bad boy. She truly did care for them, but it's in her nature to toy with people's hearts. She's just that type of person that's selfish, arrogant, and vain. Finding out she was adopted, and her mother's cancer didn't help the situation. She does have a sweet side, but most of the time she's just faking it. At the age of seventeen, she wanted to find her birth parents, but before she could do some digging herself, Stefan- although hating her for what she did to him and his brother- introduced her to Elena Gilbert. For two years since Katherine moved back, no one had even thought to notice double running around. They lived on opposite ends of town and never had any of the same classes, but this town is really small you would have thought _someone _would notice. It only took the genius of Stefan to realize the truth, but even he thought Elena was Katherine when he met her. She wasn't the kindest to Elena at first, but she does love her sister in her own way. But the one person who has truly captured the essence of Katherine's heart is the one and only Elijah Mikaelson. She met him when she was nineteen, and at first hoped that he was another guy to play with. But he was such a gentleman, and so smart and charming and loyal and _great_ in bed. Against her will, she fell in love. Once she realized she was in love, she didn't know what to do. She never felt anything like this before that it scared her. She broke up with him. But when he showed up to one of her modeling gigs (she studied both fashion designing and modeling while in college) with flowers and a whole big, romantic speech and the kiss of a lifetime, Katherine couldn't let him get away again. They dated for three years, and once she finished college and he landed a job at a law firm, he proposed. Katherine didn't want a short-term engagement. She wanted all the time in the world to plan the _perfect _wedding because underneath her cold exterior, lived a girl who dreamed of fairy tales. They married fourteen months later, and have been married for two years.

After Katherine talked to Emma and Jeremy she hung up the phone. She turned around to face Elijah who was drinking his morning coffee.  
"I invited Jeremy. He said he'll tell Elena."

Elijah looked up at her and gave her a small smile.  
"I talked to my brothers and Rebekah. They're all free."

"Perfect," Katherine grinned. Her smile faltered when she thought, "Have you told your, you know."

Elijah sighed, his good mood obviously faltered. "My mom? Yeah, her flight is Saturday morning."

"Well, at least we didn't tell her in person. She doesn't deserve that," she said bitterly. Elijah had only told Katherine the story of his family the night before their wedding. All those times she had met Esther, she thought she was lovely. She didn't understand why Elijah and his siblings treated her so coldly, especially Klaus and Kol. Once she knew, she hated every bone in that woman's body. Sure, she wasn't as bad as Mikael. And Elijah wasn't the center of the abuse, emotionally or physically, but he did experience it too. Katherine never liked Klaus that much, but she felt sorrow for him. She immediately stopped because she knew he'd hate her for pitying him.

"Katherine?" Elijah rubbed her shoulder affectionately.

She shook out of her trance and looked up at him. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you needed a ride to work. Or is your car fixed yet?"

"Oh! No, that's okay. Caroline is picking me up. The car dealership is on the way to the doctor's office anyway."

Elijah chuckled and kissed the top of her forehead. "I have an important case today, so I'll see you tonight."

Before he could turn away, Katherine called out to him, "You call _that _a goodbye kiss?" She hooked her hands around his neck and brought his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She backed them against the counter. Before things could escalate the way Katherine _wanted _them too, a car horn sounded from the driveway. Katherine pulled away and rolled her eyes, "Caroline Forbes. Always _right on time._"

Elijah chuckled and grabbed his briefcase. "I got to go," he kissed Katherine's cheek.

"Yeah, yeah. My husband: Mystic Falls' favorite and best looking lawyer. I'm so lucky to even get five minutes with him."

"Bye Katherine."

"Hey, don't forget to kick ass!" Her words were cut off by the sound of the front door closing. She sighed and grabbed her purse before following suit. She locked the front door behind her and saw Caroline sitting in her car. To her dismay, someone was already sitting in the passenger's seat. "You've got to be kidding me," Katherine whispered.

"Hey!" Caroline grinned and waved her hand. The person sitting next to her was her boyfriend of four years, and Katherine's brother-in-law Klaus.

"Why hello Katerina," Klaus smirked as Katherine climbed into the backseat, his British accent evident.

"_Why _do you _always_ call me that?" Katherine asked, clearly annoyed by his presence.

"It's your European name, you know. And your ancestors come from Bulgaria, am I correct?"

"Elijah told you this to annoy me. Well, it works."

"Just doing my job."

Katherine turned to Caroline, "Exactly why is he here?" She turned to Klaus, "Why are you even here? Don't you have to get to doing- what is it you do anyway?"

"I have the day off," Klaus answered.  
"He's an artist," Caroline said at the same time.

"I didn't know tortured artists who work from home even had sick days," Katherine retorted.

"I didn't realize we had to bring you to get your car."

"Guys, will you stop?" Caroline exclaimed. "Now shut up or I'll stop this car and you can both get out."

"Whatever," they both said.

"God, I feel like your mother," Caroline complained. "And I'm younger than both of you!"

"Love, don't give her openings to more jokes."

"Yeah, _love_," Katherine mocked.

Caroline sighed and knew this was going to be a long ride.

Here's the story of Caroline Forbes because I bet you're all just dying to know. She's the daughter of Bill and Elizabeth Forbes. Caroline always had a close relationship with her father, which is why she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was seven and her father moved out of town. She totally accepted the fact that her dad was gay, but she just missed him. He tried to come back to town as much as possible, but as Caroline got older it became less frequent. Liz was the Sheriff, but she never had the best relationship with her daughter. But after the Gilberts died, Caroline realized how much she really did love her mother and vowed to be a better daughter. Caroline never did anything scandalous, but she did sneak out a lot and date all the wrong guys just to get a rise out of her mother. Once she stopped and actually communicated with her mother, their relationship got much better. Caroline's best friends are Elena, Bonnie and Stefan. Her first real boyfriend was Matt who she dated in Junior year but they both realized it was both puppy love. Caroline's first love was Tyler Lockwood. They dated for about two years in high school and one in college before Tyler proposed. I wouldn't say Caroline _pressured _him but she did hint it once or twice. The engagement only lasted about nine months before things took a bad turn. They started to fight all the time, and they eventually got to a point where they didn't even want to make up. Tyler thought Caroline was neurotic and a control freak, which she was. Caroline started to not trust Tyler, with lots of things. After the breakup, Tyler moved away. Matt and Jeremy are the only ones that speak to him. The breakup was hard on Caroline too. She promised herself she wouldn't rush into another relationship. And she didn't. That was until Stefan introduced herself to Klaus. She didn't think anything of him at first, but he was interested in her and made that very clear. They became good friends though, and I guess the love grew as time went on. It was those relationships that starts slowly before erupting so hard and fast, at least it was for her. Yes, the pair fight a lot too, but it's different from how it was with Tyler. This time around, they _want _to make up. And Klaus finds Caroline's perky personality cute and a turn-on not a turn-off. Caroline is in premed school with Stefan and his friend Lexi Branson.

"Thanks for the ride," Katherine said once Caroline stopped outside the car dealership.

"No problem," Caroline smiled. Katherine nodded at Klaus before getting into her car. She started the ignition and started to drive away, Caroline right behind her.

"I still don't understand what my brother sees in that girl," Klaus wondered out loud.

"Hey, be nice."

"You know that's not how I roll."

"How exactly do you roll?" Caroline laughed. Klaus just smiled. He loved her laugh, it was his favorite sound in the world. He also loved how he was the only one who could get her to laugh like that. She was also the only one to make him smile so brightly since his childhood. "Nevermind, don't answer that.. Do you need me to drop you off somewhere?"

"Eh, I think I'll come with you to class."

"Oh no, you're not."

"I want to talk to my buddy Stefan, thank you."

"Then call him," Caroline rolled her eyes as she stopped for a red light. "I don't really think Stefan has a life, so I'm sure his phone is always on."

"He has a life. Just not an interesting one."

Caroline shook her head and laughed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a car park next to hers. The road was four lanes, so two cars can be facing each direction. She looked to her left and gasped. Her eyes widened when she recognized who was in the car and she quickly turned her head the other way.

"What is it, love?"

"Oh, nothing. I just have a neck cramp," she lied. Klaus just raised his eyebrow. "Just... don't look in the car next to us."

Klaus glanced over her shoulder and nodded, all humor leaving his features.

"Tyler Lockwood."

Caroline sighed and rested her forehead on her hands, but the motion caused the horn to beep.

"Crap!" Caroline swore as she slowly glanced at Tyler's car. He had just noticed her and Klaus with a shocked expression. His face also showed he was a little hurt. Caroline gave a shy smile and waved. He nodded in greeting.

"Care, the light is green." Caroline stepped on the gas and sped away before a second glance at Tyler.

Caroline didn't know what to think. What was he doing back? Five years ago, he packed up and skipped town. The only people who talk to him are his parents, Matt and Jeremy. Tyler ignored all Caroline's attempts at communication. She thought he hated her, not like he had any reason too. She never hated him. Not even for breaking her heart. She was upset, yes. But she still wanted to talk. He just fell off the face of the earth for her.

Now, what made him want to come back?

* * *

**Phew, this was a long chapter. Just want to give a heads up, the chapters will be somewhat around this length so it'll take me a while to write them, unless I know what I'm writing, which I didn't for this chapter. But I hope you guys liked it! We heard everyone else's stories! I forgot about Jenna and Alaric, but don't worry. I'll get to them. And what do you guys think about Tyler being back? Should he be a bad guy or a good guy? I personally _love_ Tyler (although he is my least favorite compared to pretty much everyone else) so I want to see him become friends with Caroline again. Aaanddd I suck at endings lol so that was bad, sorry.**

**Katherine and Elijah are inviting their siblings over for lunch to tell them something. What do you think it is? And does anybody have any other storylines they'd like to see? Again, I can be persuaded to write about anything, just ask.**

****(A/N: Enzo doesn't have a last name so I made one myself.)****

**Please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys :) **

**so it is like eleven o'clock at night and I am very emotional from the Switched at Birth season 3 finale, the Fosters mid-season finale, and finding out who the Benefactor is on Teen Wolf. So, if any of you watch either of these shows you're probably a mess right now too. So I decided to update! I hope you like it...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries**

* * *

Caroline Forbes was _fuming. _She dropped Klaus off at home before she went to her classes. Klaus had kept asking her if she was alright, and she was. To be honest, the encounter was extremely awkward. But she wasn't angry. She wasn't upset. She was just confused. She was completely and utterly _fine. _But once she started heading to her class, she thought just how much she wished she could run over Tyler with her car. She mentally scolded herself for such thoughts. And then she remember what a complete asshole Tyler was during their last few months together. No, she didn't want to see him, or cry, or even yell at him. She just wanted to ignore him. Forget he existed, but it didn't help that she still wanted to gauge his eyes out with fruit cutters. Stefan and Lexi were waiting for her outside the classroom and were honestly a little scared of her.

"Caroline? Are you okay?" Stefan asked the blonde.

"_Okay? _Do I look okay?" she snapped.

"Wow, what's gotten into you?" Lexi asked.

Caroline sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm just really upset and angry."

"Why?" Stefan rubbed her back.

"Tyler Lockwood is back to Mystics Falls."

Stefan's eyes widened, and Lexi just stood there confused.

"Tyler Lockwood? Your ex-fiancé?" Stefan clarified. Caroline nodded. "What the hell is he doing back?"

"That's what I'd liked to know." Caroline blew her hair out of her face annoyed.

"What did Klaus say? Does he know?" Lexi asked.

"He was there with me when I saw him. I just shrugged it off as if it meant nothing, but once I dropped him off I became very angry. I don't even know why. I never hated Tyler, but right now I do."

"It's understandable," Stefan started. "I mean, he emotionally abused you and then after the breakup moved out-of-town as if he was the victim and never tried to communicate. I'd hate him, too."

"Me three," Lexi spoke up. "He sounds like a jackass."

"He wasn't always," Caroline murmured. "But I have Klaus now, and I'm happier than I ever was with Tyler. I've moved on," Caroline turned her frown upside down.

"That's the spirit!" Lexi elbowed the other blonde. Caroline smiled at her two friends and realized how her drastically her life changed in five years, but it was still the best change that happened during her twenty-five years on earth.

...

Over the next few days Caroline didn't run into Tyler, which made her extremely happy. But someone else did.

Klaus was at The Grill having a drink while racking his brain for inspiration to finish his painting. For someone who paints anything and everything he sees, hears or feels, it was tearing him apart that he couldn't finish a _simple _art piece. He had felt this emotion so many times within the past couple of years; happiness. Whenever he thought of happiness he thought of his father's death, his siblings' smiles, and the beautiful Caroline Forbes. He started with yellow because that's the color of brightness. But that's all he's got, and its making him feel like a failure.

"Someone's being all mopey," chuckled Bonnie Bennett as she leaned across the bar to refill his glass.

Klaus looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "Just stuck on a piece," he answered.

"You'll get it," Bonnie smiled. "You're amazing, have you seen your work?" He smiled in gratitude.

"Bonnie Bennett! Guess who's back!" a voice exclaimed from behind Klaus. Bonnie knew that voice since she was five. She didn't even need to look behind Klaus to know that Tyler Lockwood was standing there.

"Tyler!" Bonnie moved out from behind the counter to hug her childhood friend. But after the hug broke, she slapped his arm with all her strength.

"Hey! What was that for?" Tyler cried.

"For skipping town and not talking to anyone for five years!" She didn't mention breaking Caroline's heart, but she knew that would create disaster especially if Klaus is sitting right there.

"I'm sorry, okay? I talked to Jeremy and Matt. Speaking of my best friend.. Where's Donovan?"

"I'm right here," Matt said as he came out of the storage room with a grin on his face. "Hey, man!"

As Tyler and Matt hugged and caught up, Bonnie sat down beside Klaus.  
"I'd get out of here now if I were you."

"Why would I do that?" Klaus asked.

"So things won't be awkward."

"Please."

"You two hate each other, don't deny that."

"I've only ever met him a couple of times, but yes he is a twat."

"And this twat thinks you're a dick," Tyler turned around to glare at the British man.

Matt and Bonnie shared a look that said this wasn't going to be good.

"Hey Tyler, have you seen Caroline yet?" Klaus asked, an evil grin spreading across his face.

Tyler rolled his eyes, "You were there when I saw her. What exactly was that anyway? Since when have you've been dating Caroline?"

"Not any of your business."

"Ty, let it go," Matt grabbed his arm. "It's not worth it."

"Matt's right. Because I would definitely kick your ass," Klaus smirked.

"You want to take this outside?" Tyler threatened.

"No, he doesn't," Bonnie warned. "Both of you stop or go home."

"I have to go anyway." Klaus stood up and put his coat on and gave Bonnie twenty dollars for his expenses. "Bonnie, Matt, I'll see you sometime when my youngest siblings bring you around."

"Bye," Bonnie and Matt waved. Tyler just stood there staring daggers as Klaus walked out the door.

...

Once Bonnie was done with her shift, she started to head home. She mentally slapped herself when she realized that her daughter was spending the day with Kol. She turned around to drive to her boyfriend's condo on the other side of town. When she reached the place, she got out of the car and walked to the back door. She had a key that Kol had given her a few months ago, so she pulled it out and let herself in.

"Mommy!" Emma exclaimed, once hearing the back door open. She ran from the living through the kitchen and attacked her mother. Bonnie picked her up and hugged her. "Guess what me and Kol-ey did today!"

"What did you do today?" Bonnie asked as Kol came into the kitchen.

"He took me to the arcade! My favorite game is the ski ball machine! And guess what I won?"

"Hmm.. A car?" Emma shook her head. "A new house?"

"No, silly." Emma booped Bonnie's nose. "I won a big teddy bear! Well, Kol won that for me. But with the tickets I won, I got a magic eight ball, a tiara, and a bunch of candy!"

"Please tell me you didn't eat all the candy," Bonnie begged.

"Don't worry," Kol spoke up. "I only let her have a lollipop and a twix bar."

"Oh, since when are you responsible?" Bonnie joked.

"Since me!" Emma giggled and hid her head in her mother's shoulder. Bonnie kissed her daughter's hair, and Kol smiled at the sight. They weren't his family, but he loved them just as if they were. Emma took after Bonnie with her light brown skin, chocolate eyes, and dark hair. Her personality was a mix of both her parents: the brilliance and kind-heartedness of her mother, and the fierceness and open-mindedness of her father. Although her smile was all her own, Kol thought it was just as beautiful as Bonnie's was.

"Thank you for watching her today," Bonnie turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "You didn't have to, but I appreciate it."

"No problem," Kol grinned. "I love the little monster," he affectionately messed up Emma's hair, which made her pout and fix it.

"Kol-ey! Don't touch my hair!" Emma pouted.

"Sorry Em."

"We should probably get going," Bonnie said.

"No!" Emma cried.

"Yes, we need to get home."

"Actually, can I talk to you for a second?" Kol asked Bonnie. Bonnie nodded and let Emma go into the living room to get her stuff together.

"What is it?"

"Three things. One: I need my hello kiss." Bonnie rolled her eyes but nonetheless walked toward Kol and place her hands on his cheeks before pulling his lips to hers' in a lingering kiss. "Thank you," he smirked. She left her hands around his neck while absent mindedly playing with his hair as he continued to talk. "Second thing is I thought I'd be polite and ask you about your day."

"Eh, it was okay. Your brother-"

"Which one?"

"Klaus, came in and was drinking away his artistic failures but then Tyler Lockwood came in to say hi to me and Matt, but they kind of got into an argument. Other than that, work was just fine."

"And what about your classes this morning?"

"It was school, what do you think?"

"It sucked."

"Actually I kind of like school, but yeah it does. Anyway, what was the third thing you wanted to talk about?"

Kol chuckled as if he was embarrassed about what he was about to say. "I... Uhm, I wanted to know if you and Emma would like to move in?"

Now _this _caught Bonnie off-guard. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, your apartment is super small and it's all the way across town and I just hate how far away you guys are. And I know that small-ass apartment gets on your nerves."

"It's not like Emma is there all the time though. She spends the night at Jeremy's half of the time. And I sleep here sometimes when I don't have her."

"I know, but I want to make it official."

Bonnie gave him a look that said she couldn't believe what he was asking, "You're serious?"

"Damn right. I love you, and Emma, and I want you guys to move in. There's a guest room for all the times you have Emma, and my room is big enough for both of us."

Bonnie sighed and looked at the floor. "I'll think about it, okay? We've only been dating for eleven months, and I don't want to move too fast."

"Bonnie, darling. Trust me. I've never felt anything like how I feel about you in my entire life."

She gave a small smile and kissed his cheek. "I got to go." He nodded and broke their embrace. "Emma!" Bonnie called. Emma ran in with her backpack full with toys on her back.

"Bye Kol-ey!" She hugged his legs. He chuckled and bent down to kiss her hair.

"Have fun at your sibling dinner tomorrow," Bonnie said as she kissed Kol once again. She grabbed Emma's hand and started walking towards the door. "I love you, and I promise I'll think about it."

Kol smiled and waved, "Bye." He watched the mother and daughter duo walk out of his condo as he continued to hope they move in with him.

...

The next morning, Katherine rolled over in her bed expecting to snuggle into her husband's side. When all she felt was air, she opened her eyes. She sighed once she looked around the room and saw that he was not there.

"Not again, Elijah." She shook her head and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge. She gathered her hair into a ponytail before standing up. As she started walking to the bathroom, Elijah came in through their bedroom door.

"Morning sweetheart," he said.

Katherine turned around and glared at him playfully. "Exactly where have you been this morning, mister?"

"Getting ready for lunch today," he replied.

"But why? It's only," she looked at the clock and her eyes widened. "It's eleven o'clock?" Elijah nodded. "We're meeting everyone at noon, and the café is twenty minutes away." He nodded once again. "Crap. I got to get ready, give me twenty-five minutes!" Elijah laughed as Katherine threw herself in the bathroom.

True to her word, Katherine was ready in exactly twenty-five minutes. She walked down the stairs to meet Elijah in the kitchen.

"How do I look?" she asked as she twirled around. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a thin white belt to hold them up, a purple cami, a black leather jacket, and black heels to finish off the outfit. Her hair was naturally curled, as it is everyday. Makeup included simple black mascara and red lipgloss. Jewelry was a minimum except for a dolphin necklace her parents gave her when she was fourteen, her charm bracelet that she's been collecting charms for five years now (including her engagement ring she had made into a charm,) and her wedding ring that glowed on her left hand like a throne.

"Beautiful," Elijah smiled in his typical dress suit.

"You look dapper yourself, although you always do."

Within twenty minutes, Katherine and Elijah were sat at a table for eight, with a booth behind them that Emma, Christian, and Tate could sit, eat, and play at. The table for eight had four sides to fit two people. Katherine and Elijah sat on one side together, of course.

"Auntie Kitty-Kat!" the high-pitched voice that could only belong to Christian Salvatore exclaimed. "And Uncle 'Lijah!"

"Hey, kiddo!" Katherine smiled at her nephew as he ran to her. She picked him up and placed him on her lap. "We have to tell your daddy to stop having you call me that." When Christian shook his head she changed the subject, "Where's your mommy?"

"I ran away from her," Christian giggled.

"I would too," Katherine joked.

"Very funny," Elena said as she walked towards the table. She leant down towards her son, who was now hugging Elijah, and said, "We don't run away from mommy, okay?" Christian nodded,  
"I sowwy."

Elena kissed her son's forehead and said, "It's alright. Just don't do it again?"

"I won't!"

"You're a good mother, Elena," Elijah spoke up as he moved Chris' long dark hair out of his eyes.

"Thank you," Elena smiled. "And I'm sure whenever you guys decide to have children, you'll be great parents." Elena glanced at her twin. "Or, well. _Elijah _will be great."

"Hey," Katherine slapped her sister's arm. Katherine then yelped when she felt someone poke her in the sides. She turned around and there stood a blonde who reminded her a lot of her husband. "Rebekah, don't do that," Katherine growled.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law before walking over to her brother. "Aren't you going to give your baby sister a hug?" She opened her arms. "It's not like you haven't seen me in two months."

Elijah handed Christian back to Elena before standing up to hug his sister. "Well, it's not my fault you don't come around."

"I'm never _invited_."

"We'll have to change that."

"We might have to," Rebekah smiled.

She turned to Elena and Christian, "How's my little guy?" She asked Christian.

"I good. I miss you and Uncle Matt," Christian pouted.

"Aww, honey. We're trying to plan a wedding, but we'll come around soon, I promise."

"Speaking of wedding," Elena started. "Let me see your ring!"

Rebekah laughed and held up her left hand. Her diamond ring sparkled in the sun.

"Rebekah, it's beautiful!" Elena exclaimed.  
"Woah, could Matty Blue-Blue even afford that?" Katherine added.

"Matt's always been very careful with his money. He must have saved it for something important, and well.." Elena looked at Rebekah. "You're that special person." Rebekah grinned.

"I hope one of my brothers show up soon so I'm not the only guy," Elijah muttered.

"Don't be grouchy," Rebekah nudged her older brother. "You're not the grouchy sibling. That's Klaus."

"And I'm the noble one, Kol's the narcissistic one, Finn's the pessimistic one, and you're the sensitive one."

"Someone mention my name?" Kol announced his arrival by appearing behind Rebekah.

"Yes, we were just saying how much you love to look at yourself in the mirror," Elijah grinned while slapping his hand on his youngest brother's back.

"I am very good-looking, right Rebekah?" The girl in question scoffed but still gave her brother a hug anyway.  
"Eh, you're okay."

"Uncle Kol! Auntie Bex! Uncle 'Lijah!" A boy with flaming red hair squealed as he ran towards his Aunt and Uncles.

"Tate!" Finn called after his son, but Tate was already hugging Rebekah's legs. "I'm so sorry. He's been talking all morning about how much he missed you guys."

"It's okay," Rebekah smiled down at her nephew. "I've been excited to see him, too. He's gotten so big."

"I'm two now!" the young boy held up two fingers. He looked around, "Where's Uncle Nik?" Tate asked.

"He should be here soon," Elijah look around. He saw that Jeremy and Emma had arrived and were talking to the twins. "Shall we all sit down now?" Elijah suggested, gesturing to the table.

Katherine turned her head, "Yes. Not many people are in this room, but I'm sure we're annoying them anyway," she glared at this elderly couple, who were the only people in the room besides the party of ten, who had been giving them dirty looks since Christian had ran inside.

"Kol-ey! I just saw you yesterday!" Emma exclaimed once she saw that Kol was there. "What are you doing here?"

Kol chuckled and ruffled Emma's hair, again. "I'm having lunch, Em."

"Me too! And don't touch my hair," she slapped his hand away.

"Kids, you can sit at this booth here." The waitress came with crayons and coloring maps to keep them busy.

Klaus entered the café exactly when the rest of them started to sit down at the table. Elijah and Katherine, Elena and Jeremy, Kol and Finn, and Rebekah were all seated. Klaus took the seat in between Rebekah and Elijah.

"Niklaus; always fashionably late," Elijah acknowledged without looking up from his menu.

"It's never a party if you're not the last one to show up," Finn added.

"Nice to see you guys, too." He leaned over to Elijah, "Why are the Gilberts here?"

"Katherine and I both have news," was all he said. Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Hello, I'm April and I'll be your waitress today." The waitress was indeed April Young, who didn't realize who she was serving until she saw Rebekah's, Elena's, and Jeremy's faces. "Oh my gosh, hey guys!"

"April! How are you?" Elena asked the young girl she used to babysit.

"I'm good. Just finishing up my last year of college."

"Where are you going?" Rebekah asked the girl who was one of her first friends when she moved here, despite being two years younger.

"I'm at MIT, but we got off for vacation a few weeks ago so I came back to help my dad. He retired, you know. Anyways, enough catching up. Can I get you guys anything to drink?"

Fifteen minutes later, once everyone was settled with their lunch and have all done their fair share of catching up, Katherine picked up her wine glass and knife and clicked them together nicely.

"You didn't have to do that," Elijah told his wife. More people who have since been seated in the room looked over at Katherine. She shot them all daggers before they went back to minding their own business.

"Yes, I did. It's fun. Anyway, you're all probably wondering why we invited all of you out to lunch."

"I have a guess," Jeremy muttered.

"Shut it, Little Gilbert." Katherine shared a look with Elijah and he nodded for her to continue. She took a deep breath, "Elijah and I have been married for two years now.. And well, I'm twenty-five and he's twenty-nine and both our careers are taking off, so we decided that it's the perfect time to start a family." The look on everyone's faces was the exact opposite of shock. They all had a feeling this was coming. Katherine ripped the band-aid off, "I'm pregnant."

"I knew it," Jeremy whispered to Elena.

Elena ignored her adoptive brother, and stood up to congratulate her sister. "Oh my god, that's great! I'm so happy for you! How far along are you?"

"10 weeks."

"You're almost done with the first trimester. Have you gone to an ultrasound yet?" Elena asked. She looked up and saw that the Mikaelsons were congratulating their brother also.

"Yes. I found out when I was five weeks by a pregnancy test, and I told Elijah that night. We scheduled an ultrasound for the next week and the doctor confirmed it and everything."

"You've known for a month and you didn't tell me," Elena accused.

"Sorry, but we wanted to wait."

Jeremy spoke up, "Well I'm incredibly happy for you guys. Being a parent is, it's an amazing feeling." Jeremy looked at over at Emma, who was teaching the young boys how to draw a house.

"Thank you," Katherine gave her cousin a side hug. "I'm actually excited! I just don't want to deal with the crying, the up-all-nights, the diapers, the mess... Can't the baby just start out at like.. Age two?"

"No, you do _not_ want the terrible twos."

"Okay, how about three?"

"That sounds good," Elena chuckled. "But you'll be fine."

A few feet away from the Gilberts stood the Mikaelsons who were having their own version of congratulations.

"Have you told mother yet?" Finn asked, after the congratulation hugs.

Elijah nodded, "Her plane lands in two hours actually."

"You mean she's coming here? To Mystic Falls?" Kol asked.

"Yes, she wants to help Katherine with maternity things. It's only for a couple of weeks."

"But now that she has two grandchildren, and Rebekah's getting married, I bet she's going to move back, " Klaus said.

"Why did she move away anyway?" Rebekah asked. After Rebekah graduated and didn't need her mother anymore, Esther decided to move away from Mystic Falls all the way across country to Palm Springs, California. Her children all stayed there (Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah did. Kol went away to start baseball, but he moved back when he met Bonnie, and he also wanted to be closer to his siblings. Finn and Sage lived in Brooklyn, New York for a while, but moved back because they preferred the quiet town to raise a child in.) She never really visits, just calls a lot. Klaus and Kol never pick up, but that doesn't stop her from trying.

"Guess once we didn't need her anymore, she didn't want to stay here."

"We never needed her in the first place," Kol said. "We got along just fine without her for six years."

"And we've done good for another six," Rebekah added.

"I honestly don't want her here," Finn spoke up.

"That's a shock. You're her favorite son, don't deny it." Kol scoffed.

"She's not the same mother I remember. She's not the mother I love."

"I don't even remember that mother."

"Kol, Finn. Mother is coming to town, whether any of you like it or not. I'm not too happy about it either, but it is what it is." Rebekah and Klaus rolled their eyes at Elijah always being the voice of reason.

"Fine," Kol said. "But if she ever wants a family dinner, count me out."

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**Wow, so Katherine is pregnant! How many of you saw that coming? And what do you thinks going to happen now that both Tyler and Esther are back in town? And Kol asked Bonnie to move in with him, will she do it? And I know I said I'd introduce Jenna and Alaric in this chapter, but I couldn't figure out how to fit them in, but they'll be in here soon. **

**So.. I would love it if I got at least three reviews! Please?**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been two weeks since my last update. First of all; no one reviewed. Come on guys, please? If you want more chapters you have to review. And second; volleyball started the twenty-first so I've been busy and _tired _from that. Plus I was super sick with a fever Thursday night into Friday. I had to miss practice (it was hell week so we had practice _every_ day.) Oh and school starts this week (Imma be a Freshman) so I've been getting ready for that. Ugh, who else is starting school? Or has already started? It sucks, right? :/**

**But I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.**

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Rebekah pulled out her apartment key and slid it into the lock to open her door. She stepped into her apartment and placed her bag on the kitchen counter. Her apartment wasn't too small, but it wasn't huge either. It was comfortable for one person. When you walk in, you're in a small hallway with the kitchen on your left, a bathroom in front of you, a living room/bedroom to your right. She has at least half of her stuff, and spends most of her time at Matt's house anyway. She's even been hinting at moving in to his house sooner rather than later. She doesn't want to wait until the wedding to move in; they're basically a married couple anyway. They've been together just as long as Katherine and Elijah, Sage and Finn, and Damon and Elena, who are all married with a kid (or one on the way.)

She walked over to her mini-fridge, pulled out a bottle of beer before sitting down on her kitchen stool. She took a swing of her drink as the doorknob wiggled before opening. Matt used his key Rebekah had given him two years ago (when she moved in after graduating college,) to open the door. He seemed to have not known she was home (she hadn't texted him after her lunch, but she was going to do the same and show up at his house later.)

"Nice to be barging in on your fiancé's privacy," her voice rang across the room. He slightly jumped in surprise as he turned towards her.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were here." He smiled sheepishly.

"That's why I said you were barging in," she joked. "Breaking and entering, I'm going to have to call Damon."

"But I have a key," he played along.

She walked up to him and plucked the key out of his hand and threw it on the floor. "What key?" she asked innocently.

"Okay, miss. I'm sorry for breaking into your house. I was just coming to wait for you, but I understand I wasn't invited."

"That you weren't. What shall I tell the police to do to you?"

"While I agree I should be punished, I would much rather _you_ punish me."

Rebekah grinned before leaning in to capture his lips with hers. Her hands cupped his face while his arms wrapped around her waist. She reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. As he bit her lip, he backed her into the counter and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. After a few minutes of their tongues fighting for dominance, they pulled up for air. Their foreheads leaned against each others'.

"So.." Matt started to talk while carefully rubbing circles on her thigh. "How was your lunch?"

"Huh?" Rebekah's eyes opened. "Oh! That. Right. Well, Katherine's pregnant."

"I figured. I mean, it was about time. No wonder that girl didn't get pregnant when she was sixteen."

Rebekah slapped his arm, "Hey. That's my sister-in-law."

"You don't like her very much, either," he pointed out.

"True," she acknowledged. "But I owe it to my brother to not be mean to her." Matt chuckled. Matt's laughter died down when he noticed Rebekah's face fall as she stared off into space.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he put a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Rebekah sighed and shook her head,  
"Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow. He held out his hand to help her get down from the counter. As he led her to the couch he told her, "Nothing always means something."

She flopped down on her couch, "I'm fine..." She looked up at his big blue eyes and caved, "I don't even know."

"You can tell me anything. We're going to be married soon." His eyes widened as he realized, "Are you having second thoughts? Did I do something?"

Rebekah giggled and grabbed his hands. "No, you did nothing wrong. And I can't wait to be married to you. It's just... My mum is coming back to town, and I'm not really happy. None of us are," by _us_ she meant her and her brothers.

Matt's face fell too. "I'm sorry, that must bring back horrible memories."

She shrugged and leaned back on the couch, bring her knees up to her chest. "Not really. I don't really know how I feel about her. She's my mum, I have to love her. But she makes it so damn hard. Then there's her effort, only to have us all shoot her down and her running away again. There's also the times she brings up our father which erases all and any progress she made. I don't know. Maybe after Elijah's baby is born, and you and me are married, she'll leave again. I doubt she'll come down for when Klaus or Kol get married or have a child because they don't even talk to her. They haven't for years. Except to say how much she's a horrible person. I want to say she's not _that _horrible but that could just be the young girl buried deep inside of me who still needs her mother, no matter what she's done."

Matt listened to every word. He understand exactly how she felt, if he was being honest. "I understand where you're coming from. But let me just tell you one thing: just because she gave birth to you, does not mean you _have _to love her. Love her if you _want _to. Not because you need to. Family is someone who grew up with you, looked after and cared for you, _did not abandon you_, and loves you no matter what. Those people are your brothers. You guys stuck through fourteen years of your father's abuse. You guys made your own little family. This woman who calls herself your mother left for six years after your brother died, came back out of no where and moved all of you to America, didn't make any efforts until your sorry excuse for a dad died, then left for another six years when her efforts failed and her last child was over eighteen. She's just your mother when it's convenient for _her. _You don't have to love her." He sighed as he thought about his mother. "My mom was the same way. She was only my mom when it was convenient for her. Vicki and I took care of each other. When Vicki died," his voice caught in his throat as he thought about his sister. Rebekah rubbed his shoulder soothingly, silently telling him he didn't have to talk if he didn't want to. "I was left alone. She came back, but I had to send her away. She just wasn't my mother. She was just this _mess_ who lived across the hall. I mean, she made out with my best friend. My _underage _best friend. I couldn't love her. I didn't want to love her. I wanted her gone, and I haven't heard from her since."

"Did you ever want to talk to her?" Rebekah's voice sounded small. "Like.. Did you ever think about reuniting with her after you kicked her out?"

Matt hesitated, "Yes.." He was telling the truth. "I wondered what would happen if I asked her to come back, because I wanted her back the next day if I'm being honest. She'd probably think I was a crazy teen who couldn't make up his freaking mind. So I didn't ask her to come back. It was hard being officially alone at first. But I had my friends; Tyler's parents were kind enough to let me stay with them until I got enough money from working at The Grill to be able to buy back my house after I graduated. My friends, and you of course.. you guys are my family. But... I really would have wanted her to have been better and come to my graduation. I sent her an invitation, but maybe she never got it. I would have thought she would have come."

"I'm sorry she didn't. It's possible it got lost in the mail, but if she did see it then it's just terrible that she didn't come. But there's also the fact that she knew how old you were, she knew what year you'd be graduating, and around what time. It couldn't have been that hard for her to find out."

"I know," he said bitterly.

"Do you think she'll come to the wedding if you ask?"

"Doubt it." Matt knew what she was doing. "Stop trying to shift the subject from you to me."

"That's not what I'm doing," she lied. He gave her a look. "Okay, fine. But we both have estranged mothers, we can help each other. It's best if we _both _talk."

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He kissed her hair, "I know. And I love you, Miss. Mikaelson."

She leaned her head back and grinned, "Nuh uh, _Mrs. Donovan._" She kissed him quickly, "I love you, too."

...

After a hard day of chasing down criminals, Damon and Enzo started heading to The Grill to meet up with Alaric who was dealing with crazy teenagers who were tired from a weekend of partying.

"Hey, drinking buddy!" Damon grinned as he sat beside Rick. "How'd you beat us?"

Alaric sipped his drink, "I got out early." He nodded at Enzo who sat on the opposite side of Damon.

Alaric Saltzman was a history teacher at the Mystic Falls high school. He is married to the guidance counselor, Jenna Sommers. Their one year anniversary was actually coming up within a couple of weeks. He's best friends with Damon and Enzo. He's also good friends with Elena, Jeremy and all their friends. He was married to Kaelie Flemming, Elena and Katherine's birth mother's younger sister when they were in college, but she had a freak accident and died when they were twenty-four. Two years later he moved to Mystic Falls and quickly fell in love with Jenna, as well as fitting in quite well with the gang. He's known as the 'cool and hot' teacher, being only thirty-one.

"So how's the crazy kids?" Enzo joked.

"Crazy. How about the crazy juveniles?"

"Even crazier," Enzo shook his head and laughed.

"And how's the missus?" Damon asked about his aunt-in-law. If you think about it, Alaric is his adoptive-uncle-in-law. As well as his step-uncle-in-law too. Damon shook his head, it hurt his brain to think about it.

"Jenna is wonderful. And Elena?"

"Elena had an interview with the paper for her book. That girl is going far, I'm very proud of her."

"Me too. And Chris?"

"As hyper as ever."

Damon and Alaric both looked over and Enzo who just shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, I don't have a wife or kids."

"Or a girlfriend," Damon snorted. "Dude, you need to get out there."

"But Maggie-"

"That was three years ago."

"He's got a point," Alaric agreed. "You don't have to date again if you don't want to, but don't still be so hung up over Maggie."

"Have either of you been dumped? Don't answer that. But it fucking hurts."

"He cried for five days and wouldn't leave his house," Damon whispered to Alaric. He broke out laughing as Enzo glared at his friends.

"If you guys will stop laughing at me, I'll tell you that there is actually one girl who catches my eye." Damon and Alaric both raised their eyebrows. "But she's taken."

Damon rolled his eyes, "You have a British accent, girls dig that."

"Yeah, her boyfriend is also British."

Alaric snorted and Damon sighed. "Caroline, really?"

"Klaus would definitely kick your ass," Alaric chuckled.

"Shut up!"

...

"Caroline!" Elena exclaimed when she saw her best friend as she opened her front door. She reached over to hug her blonde friend. "What are you doing here?"

Caroline followed Elena through the threshold. "I need to ask you something."

Elena sat down at her table and gestured for Caroline to do the same. "Anything."

Caroline sighed as she sat down beside her friend. "Do.. Do you think I'm needy?"

"No, why are you asking that?"

"I don't know. But seriously, what is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear my name?" She raised her eyebrow.

"You're giving, smart, kind, and hilarious. Bright. Happy."

"Thanks," Caroline smiled. "But I'm not an insecure control freak?"

"Oh, you are. But we love you anyway." Caroline laughed. "What's wrong?" Elena was curious. Her friend was never like this.

"Klaus has been.. Distant lately."

"Lately?"

"Since Saturday. He came back from that lunch all depressed. Well, not depressed. And not angry. But just not happy. And this morning when I went to hug him, he pushed me away. I feel like he's mad at me. The last time I felt this bad was when things started going downhill between me and Tyler. Elena, I do _not_ want history to repeat itself. I love Klaus, and this is killing me."

Elena reached out to touch her friend's hand. "Did he tell you what happened at the lunch?"

Caroline shook her head, "He's been silent and cooped up in his art room all weekend."

"Well, this is most likely not the reason he's upset: Katherine's pregnant-"

"Wait, _what?!_ Katherine and Elijah are going to be parents? Why does no one tell me anything!"

"A baby, and plus Rebekah and Matt's wedding equals..." Caroline looked confused. "Esther is back in town."

"The Mikaelsons' mom?" Caroline asked. She had never met the woman, only heard things about her. From what she's heard, she's not too fond of her. The thing is: Caroline doesn't even know about Mikael. Klaus always changed the subject when she mentioned his father, never brought it up, he didn't want her pity, he didn't want her to leave, he just didn't want her to know. He was too proud of his new and improved life to bring up his dark past. "What the hell, didn't she move to like L.A?"

"I think it was Palm Springs."

"Whatever. That poor family, though. Poor dysfunctional, old-fashioned family. I mean, why is their dad's name Mikael when their last name is Mikaelson? And is Esther even a name? And Niklaus is such an old version of Nicholas. And the way Rebekah and Kol spell their name.. It's actually quite cool, but still odd-"

"Caroline."

"What? I love that family."

"You don't like Rebekah."

"She doesn't like me! Actually, she doesn't like Katherine, Sage or Bonnie either. Huh."

"Caroline," Elena got her friend's attention. "Do you know why Klaus hates his mom?" Caroline shook her head.

"No. Do you?" Elena shrugged. "How the hell do you know?"

"I don't know _exactly _why he hates his mom. But I think I know why he hates his _dad._"

"His dad? He never talks about his dad. And how would you know?"

"Elijah told Katherine, who mentioned something about how much of an abusive asshole Mikael was."

"Abusive?" Caroline's heart broke as she pictured a young Klaus getting slapped. She quickly shook the thought out of her head because she couldn't think about it.

"I shouldn't have said anything. He should tell you on his own time, whatever he needs to. But with him being distant: Just let him be alone. You know how he is. He'll come around. Let him come to _you_. And once he does, you need to be there for him." Elena knew how to handle this kind of situation with the times Damon had his 'moods' in the beginning of their relationship.

Caroline nodded, "Thank you Elena."

...

When Caroline walked into hers and Klaus' house, she saw him sleeping on the couch. His dark blonde hair was messed up, and his lips were curled up in his signature smirk. She smiled at the sight: he looked so child-like, so innocent (which is far from how he acts when he's awake.)

She walked over to the couch and picked up the blanket hanging on the back and put it over him. She gently caressed his face before leaning down to kiss his forehead. As she started to turn away, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She looked back down to see her boyfriend's tired, dark blue eyes staring at her with a gaze full of admiration.

"Hey sleepy head," she grinned. He sat up and moved over so she could set beside him, which she did.

"Hello love. What time is it?"

"Almost five o'clock," she chuckled at his groggy voice. "When did you fall asleep?"

"After lunch, I think. I was up all night with a painting."

"I know. You didn't come to bed last night."

Klaus noticed the hurt in Caroline's voice. He wrapped his arm around her and said, "I'm sorry. It's just I kept getting idea after idea and I had to paint it before I forgot it."

"I know, don't worry about it." She gave him a small smile.

"Well.. Would this make you feel better?" He smirked and leaned in to kiss her.

It was a two second kiss, but it still made Caroline grin. "Yes." She leaned backwards on the couch, dragging him on top of her. Their kiss resumed: starting out slow and gently but quickly resulting into a strong spark of passion, just like their relationship. It was a clash of lips, tongue, and teeth. Hair was being pulled and shirts were discarded. He moved his mouth to her neck, which made her moan in pleasure. He smiled against her silky white skin, and breathed in her scent which was strawberry shampoo and vanilla perfume. It was his favorite smell. She grabbed his face with her hands and brought his lips back to hers, as he took too long getting back to her.

"Am I interrupting something?" A voice rang across the room.

Klaus jumped away from Caroline as he flinched at the voice. He looked up and there she was.  
"Mother!" he exclaimed. His voice wasn't excited, it was shocked and a little angry.

Caroline gasped and threw her hands up to cover her mouth. _Great first impression, _she thought.

"Niklaus." Esther stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. Her hands on her hips in all her bad mother glory. She never caught him making out with a girl when he was a teenager, so why not do it when he's twenty-seven?

Klaus sat up on the couch, reached down on the floor to grab both his and Caroline's shirts. He threw Caroline her shirt, while he hastily put his on. "What the hell are you doing in my house?" He screamed as he stood up.

"I'm visiting my son," was all she said.

"And how the hell did you get in here?"

"Klaus, we don't need to yell," Caroline stood up and affectionately rubbed her boyfriend's shoulder. But she was in fact wondering how Esther even got in their house.

"The front door was unlocked."

"You can't just barge in to people's houses without their permission!" It was Caroline's turn to be outraged. "It doesn't matter if it's your son, or if the door was unlocked, it's still an invasion of privacy!" She also mentally cursed herself for not locking the door when she came in. "Wait, how do you even know where we live?"

"Now Caroline, there's no need to yell," Klaus mocked the girl standing beside him. She turned to glare at him.

"We?" Esther raised an eyebrow. "You both live here? Elijah forgot to mention that Klaus had a girlfriend, nor the fact the tramp lived with him."

Caroline felt a tug at her heart at the fact she was just called a 'tramp.'

"You can not call Caroline that," Klaus growled. "She is not a 'tramp.' She's an amazing woman, who I love with all my heart." The girl being defended smiled in gratitude.

"Oh really? How long have you even been dating?"

"Four years," they both answered.

"When did she move in?"

"A little over a year ago," Caroline answered.

"You let her move in after only three years?"

"I don't really think it's any of your business," Klaus said. "Can you get out? You're not welcome here."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," she started to turn away. "But I will be back." Klaus and Caroline both just stared as she walked away, staying in place not daring to say anything until they heard the front door slam shut.

Caroline sunk down on the couch, her head in hands.  
"Oh my god, that was _so _embarrassing."

Klaus just faintly nodded. He was still in shock from his so-called-mother just barging into his house and calling the love of his life names. Oh boy was his older brother going to get an earful for giving _that woman _his address.

"Klaus?" Caroline asked as she noticed his fists clenching and unclenching. Before either of them knew it, Klaus had picked up a glass from the table and threw it at the fireplace. "Klaus!" Caroline cried as glass shattered left and right.

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her," he kept repeating over and over. Caroline made him sit down and embraced him in a hug. She rubbed his back and kissed his head, like a mother would a child when he scraped his knee. Caroline was just so shocked. It all happened so fast. She had never seen Klaus breakdown.. he was so helpless, so broken. He was always so headstrong. Independent. He had a happy and giddy side that she was lucky to see, and a rude and egotistical side that she knew was just a wall. She had never seen this side of him, and it broke her heart. She now hated that woman with a burning passion, that she brought out this miserable side to him.

...

_"So.. I was thinking about what you said last week." _Bonnie's voice rang through Kol's cellphone.

"Oh, yeah?" Kol grinned. He was laying on his black leather couch with his feet crossed on his arm rest.

_"I know it seems so early in the relationship.. But you're right. I love you, it's not even funny how much I do. It's also so adorable how much Emma loves you too. I asked her about living with you and you want to know what she asked me?"_

"What did she ask you?"

_"She asked, 'Does this mean I get two Daddies now?'"_

Kol didn't answer but his lips curled into a smile so big it hurt his face.

_"Kol?"_

"Oh. I'm here, sorry. Really? I'm just, wow." He coughed. He needed to keep his masculinity and still seem like the insensitive bastard he is. Bonnie laughed on the other line. "Do not tell my sister that I was speechless over a five-year old, she'd never let me live it down." Bonnie's laughter continued.

_"No promises."_

"So, how long do you think it'll take to move in?"

_"Hmm.. I don't know, maybe a week. Half of Emma's things are at Jeremy's, and I don't have much stuff. We'll start packing tonight. But I still have to call the landlord and yada yada."_

"Okay. If you need anything, let me know."

_"Will do."_

Before the conversation could continue, someone started knocking on Kol's door. "Oh, pizza must be here. I got to go."

_"Oh my gosh. And just a fyi, once I move in, I'm cutting you off the fast food and take outs."_

"You're so mean."

_"I love you."_

"I love you, too." He clicked _end _on his phone before setting it down on the coffee table. He stood up and jogged over to the front door. He reached into his back pocket to get his money, but when he opened the door it wasn't the pizza delivery guy.

It was his mother. She stood across the threshold and gave a nervous smile to her youngest son. He just stared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing here. He knew she was in town but he told Elijah that he did _not_ want to see her. He came back to his senses and gave her a dirty look.

And slammed the door in her face.

* * *

**Wow, Kol! Do you guys think he was a little too harsh or do you think Esther deserved it? And poor Klaus :( I hate when he's upset, don't you guys? So.. more to come with all the Mikaelsons seeing their mom again! And do you think Matt and Rebekah talking about Matt's mom is foreshadowing something? Hmm.. And we met Alaric this chapter! YAY! And I know he was married to Isobel, but it kind of makes no sense with the age I have him at. If Isobel had Elena (and Katherine) when she was sixteen like in the show, she would have been 41 not 31. So I made up that she had a younger sister that he married. And I put in Dalarenzo, hehe :)**

**P.S: During Caroline's ramble of how 'old-fashioned' the Mikaelsons are (lol though, wasn't that funny?) I just wanted to say that Mikael's name isn't Mikael Mikaelson lol it's Robert but he's one of those people who like to shorten their last name and be called by that nickname (like Noah 'Puck' Puckerman or Stiles Stilinski- we still don't know Stiles first name. God I feel horrible for just comparing Stiles and Noah to someone like Mikael. Anyway.) And they named Klaus 'Niklaus' because they 'thought they were naming him something unique' (only to end up him having a life of mispronounced names and never finding his name on a coke bottle,) and as for spelling 'Rebecca' and 'Cole' with K's, they again liked the uniqueness of it.**

**(By the way, I'm sorry I'm horrible at makeout scenes :p)**

**Soooo... Do I have to beg to get a review? Tell me if you love it, like it, hate it. Suggest anything that you'd like me to write. Give me criticism (though not too harsh because I'm very sensitive lol.) I would love to hear any thoughts you have.**

**Aanndddd... Have you guys seen the season six trailer? Tell me your thoughts if you have! **

**Until next time :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for how long it took to update! I started my freshman year, and I have volleyball everyday until 5, and I had my niece's birthday party last weekend, and I went shopping yesterday. Plus, my sister has had my computer all this time (I don't understand why she can't get her own computer, all she does is watch Netflix.) Anyway, enough of my rambling and you guys enjoy the chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries**

* * *

"I know you're just trying to help, but you really shouldn't have done that," Katherine spoke up to her husband. They were sitting at the dining room table eating dinner in complete silence.

Esther had been staying with them since Saturday, and she hadn't seen any of her children except Elijah and Finn. Even though Finn wasn't too happy with her coming down, he knew he owed it to his son to meet his Grandmother. So Finn, Sage and Tate had come over and spent the day on Sunday. Esther had come to a liking of Sage, and she loved that she finally met Tate in person. Tate was nervous at first but soon warmed up to her, meanwhile Sage secretly loathed her mother-in-law.

Elijah had texted Klaus, Kol and Rebekah about their mother only to have Klaus and Rebekah never get back to him, and Kol saying "I don't want to see her." It was Monday and Esther knew her three youngest children didn't want to see her but that didn't stop her from bothering Katherine and Elijah. Katherine wanted her out of the house, as did Elijah but his motives for giving his mother the addresses of his siblings' ran a little deeper than that. He wanted his family together, his mother included. He thought it had been too long of Niklaus and Kol ignoring their mother, although he knew that this wouldn't end well.

His mother had told the couple not to wait for her to eat dinner. It was 6:30 and they had chicken and rice sitting on their plates but neither were eating. Katherine because of her 'morning' sickness, and Elijah because he was anxious of the phone calls he knew he would be receiving. Katherine noticed her husband's anxiety, and she doesn't particularly like Klaus or Kol or Rebekah but she felt bad that someone they hated was just showing up at their doorstep. She also knew how hotheaded all three of them were and how they'd blow up at Elijah, which would only make him feel absolutely _horrible. _And she didn't like it when Elijah felt bad about himself.

"I know," Elijah answered. "I was trying to help."

"I already said I knew that."

"She wanted to see them.. And I guess I really shouldn't have just given her their addresses and called them first, but she _wouldn't stop talking_-"

"Hey, you're starting to sound like me," Katherine joked.

"Katerina."

"Don't call me that."

"I'm so-" the phone ringing interrupted his apology.

"I got it!" Katherine jumped up and ran to the counter to grab Elijah's cellphone. It had read _Kol _on the screen. "It's Kol."

"Answer it," Elijah said. He was already standing behind her.

"Hello," Katherine asked in her most innocent voice.

_"Katherine darling, put my idiotic brother on the phone."_

"Uh, uh. What's the magic word?"

_"Put the bastard on the damn phone!" _After a moment of silence, he groaned and rolled his eyes before sweetening his tone of voice. _"Please."_

"It's for you," Katherine handed Elijah the phone. She whispered, "He sounds really angry. Good luck," she patted his shoulder before sitting down to eat her dinner.

"Brother-" Elijah couldn't get a word out before Kol started bombarding him with questions.

_"Did you give Mother the address to my condo?"_

"Yes, I did." Elijah sighed.

_"What in your right mind made you do that?"_

"I was only trying to help-"

_"Help? You have this idea of a perfect mother and family but that's not gonna happen! Just give it a rest. We don't need her. _I _don't need her."_

"Kol, I'm sorry."

_"Yeah, whatever. I slammed the door in her face."_

"Kol."

_"What? I could have said 'I hope you get hit by a bus,' but I didn't. You should be proud of me!"_

"You don't really want that."

_"You don't know that."_

"Either you hold really deep grudges or she did something to you I don't know about. I see why Klaus hates her: because of Mikael. But you didn't get it nearly as bad as Niklaus."

_"I got to go," _Kol hesitated before hanging up.

Elijah glanced down at his phone in shock. "He hung up on me."

"Man, that guy is stubborn," Katherine said.

Elijah sat back down at the table and nodded.

"Hey, don't worry. This had to happen at some point."

"I'm not worried about that. I just... I got this chill as I thought of my father."

Katherine looked at her husband with sympathy. She reached out and touched his hand. She knew that he was worried that he'd be like Mikael, even though he was the farthest of ever being anything similar. He was the kindest out of all his siblings (but that doesn't mean he wouldn't hurt you if you hurt someone he cared about.) He also basically took care of his siblings when their mother left the first time, as Finn had already left for college. She knew what a great big brother he was, and that's why she wasn't worried about having kids with him. "You'll be a great father."

...

Meanwhile, Esther was now standing outside her only daughter's apartment wondering whether she should knock. She didn't know why but she was most nervous about Rebekah's reaction. Her reunion with Niklaus and Kol did not go the way she planned. Finn wasn't even that happy to see her, when he was the child she had at least _thought _still loved her. She really did love her children, but she just wasn't that good of a mother. She was selfish. She had her reasons for leaving. And another one for returning _this time. _

As she went to knock on the door, the door opened and she was face to face with her daughter. She took in how beautiful she looked: long blonde hair pulled into a side braid, and a young face with bright, betrayed, blue eyes that looked shocked to see her standing there.

Rebekah had been leaving to meet Stefan at some club on Main Street. He had wanted to celebrate her engagement as he hadn't officially congratulated her, and they hadn't hung out together in a while. She was shocked when she opened the door to see her mother about to knock. She closed her door and carefully stepped out in the hallway to look face to face with her mother. She remembered her conversation with Matt: _she's only your mother when it's convenient for her. _

"Hey," she spoke first.

Esther looked surprise that she said that and didn't yell at her. "Hi, honey."

"What are you doing here? How did you know I lived here?"

"Elijah."

"Of course," Rebekah gave a small smile.

"So, how are you?"

Rebekah nodded, "I'm great. And you?"

"Good, good." It was the most awkward conversation any mother and daughter could have, but Esther was grateful it wasn't a screaming match or a door in her face. "Where were you headed?"

"Out to hang with my friend. He wanted to congratulate me on.." she held up her left hand. Esther noticed the diamond ring on her daughter's left hand.

"It's beautiful. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Who's the lucky man, again?"

"His name is Matt."

"Matt. Is he nice?"

Rebekah smiled, "One of the nicest guys I've ever met."

"Cute?"

"Very," Rebekah laughed. She was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her mom. It was awkward in the beginning, as she was dreading this moment. But, like every time, she saw her mom's efforts and caved. _She's only your mom when it's convenient for her. _Rebekah ignored her thoughts and reached out to hug her mother.

...

Over the week, Bonnie had been packing what was scattered across her apartment. She had called the landlord and said she was moving and he gave her until Saturday to get out. It was Friday and she was getting the last of her stuff in her car.

She couldn't believe she was moving in with Kol. She's excited yet honestly terrified. She really does love him, but she's worried something will happen. He keeps reassuring her that everything will be fine, and she knows that he's telling the truth, but she just can't help it. But everyone gets butterflies when they move in with their boyfriend, right?

"Okay, Bon. I think that's the last of it," Matt says as he put the last box in Bonnie's car.

Bonnie had Matt, Elena, and Caroline to help move her stuff. She doesn't have a lot, but she just wanted all three of them to come hang out for an hour or two.

Caroline slung her arm around Bonnie's shoulder, "Look at you: moving into your boyfriend's condo. Our little girl is all grown up."

"I have a kid, I think I'm more grown up than you," Bonnie grinned.

"No need to be sassy, Bonnie Bennett."

Elena chuckled from her space next to Matt, "So Bonnie.. When's Kol popping out the question?"

"What question?" Bonnie was genuinely confused.

"The marriage question, duh!" Caroline exclaimed. "Don't act like you don't know. He already asked you to move in with him."

"Oh really? What about Klaus? When's he going to?"

"Do I have to be here right now?" Matt interrupted.

"Yes!" All three girls chastised him.

"And, I don't even know," Bonnie explained. "I think asking me to move in is as far as Kol will take our relationship. He's not really the 'settling down' type. And frankly, I'm okay with that. I don't need a big, white wedding to know that he loves me."

"Well I do," Caroline mumbled. "But my boyfriend is so damn stubborn."

"So is mine," Bonnie said at the same time Matt said,  
"My fiancé is too."

"Hey, that's the perks of dating a Mikaelson," Elena joked.

"Speaking of the Mikaelsons.." Caroline started. "Have either of you met their mom yet?" Matt, Elena and Bonnie all shook their heads. "Okay, good. _Don't._ She's like the devil in disguise. She just barged into our house without permission or forewarning and started judging our relationship and even called me names! And let's not even talk about the fact that we were kind of, almost about to you know, have sex on our couch when she interrupted, and oh god that's so not a good first impression, but I'm totally scared to see her again. She made Klaus break down and _cry. _Full out sobbing. It was heartbreaking. Don't tell him I told you that!"

"I'm sorry, Care," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, that's horrible," Elena added.

"Rebekah keeps going back and forth with how she feels about her mother, and I feel horrible for her. She was emotionally abused by both her parents, but she doesn't know how to let go of the love she has for her mom."

"Can we not talk about such a depressing topic?" Caroline asked after a moment of silence.

"Okay, lets just continue talking about random things in the middle of Bonnie's apartment building parking lot," Elena said sarcastically.

"Do you guys want to take a ride to the condo?" Bonnie suggested.

"I'd love to, but I have to get to the store. We have like nothing in our house, and I think I've already lost three pounds with all the food we don't have." Caroline apologized, "Sorry. But I'll talk to you guys later," she waved before heading over to her car and driving away.

"Well we'll come. And by the way, we'll need a ride home because Caroline was our ride," Elena said.

Bonnie laughed and said, "Okay. Come on."

...

Jeremy was in the convenience store buying a quick snack for his and Emma's trip to the park this afternoon. It was his day to watch Emma, which worked out because Bonnie was moving into Kol's today and didn't want Emma part of the commotion. Emma was sad she couldn't help move, but she was excited when Jeremy told her he'd take her to the playground. She was waiting for him on the opposite side of the store, he had to keep looking up at her to make sure she didn't run away.

"Scared of a run away?" the girl at the cash register joked. Jeremy looked back and noticed it was his turn in line. He walked up to the counter and put his stuff down.

"Yeah, my daughter doesn't like to stay in one place too long."

"My cousin did the same thing all the time," the girl, whose name tag read _Anna_ said. "What's her name?" she asked as she started ringing the items.

"Emma," Jeremy answered.

"Cute name. Did your girlfriend pick it out?" Jeremy knew that was a not-so-subtle way of asking if he was single. He just had to laugh. The girl, Anna, was pretty and she seemed nice and easy-going, even though he only talked to her for a minute.

"No, my sister did. And actually, me and my 'girlfriend' aren't together anymore. We broke up about two years ago, I guess our love wasn't meant to last."

"Are you okay with that?"

He shrugged, "I still love her but she's moved on. We're still friends though."

"I'm sorry." She looked like she was about to say something else but then her eyes widened and she slapped her forehead, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm so bad at this."

"What?" Jeremy was confused.

"I'm prying into your personal life. That's so unprofessional of me! I need to learn the difference between _polite _and _stalkerish. _I'm sorry, I totally new to this whole job thing."

"Oh, that's okay," Jeremy chuckled. "You're definitely the nicest and prettiest cashier I've met."

"Pretty?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

Now it was Jeremy's turn to mentally slap himself, "I'm sorry. Was that too straightforward?"

Anna shook her head and smiled, "No. I think you're pretty too." Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake, "Or well, handsome. I mean."

Jeremy smiled like he hadn't in years. It was similar to how when in high school when he'd see Bonnie in the hallway or she told him she loved him.

Anna shook her head and realized she was on the job, "Oh! That'll be twenty-one, thirty-seven."

Jeremy was confused before he realized they were in a convenience store and there was someone behind him waiting in line. He handed her a twenty-dollar bill and a five. "You can keep the change."

"Thank you. Have fun with your daughter... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"It's Jeremy."

She handed him his bag and they felt a shock when their hands touched.

"Bye, Jeremy," she smiled as she watched him and Emma walk out the door.

...

_Let's see. I'm in the mood for burgers tonight, but that requires cooking. I want something easy. Or maybe I'll have Klaus make it. Yeah, I'll do that. _Caroline was thinking of what she should buy at the grocery store.

"Oh, crap. We need beer! Why does he have to drink so much?" She asked herself.

As Caroline quickly turned the corner she walked right into another person.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

"No, I am," the other person said. She froze.

She looked up and noticed who the other person was: Tyler.

"Tyler," she acknowledged.

"Hey," he gave her a small smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good. And you?"

"Well, now; I'm great."

She nodded, as she didn't know what else to say. Which was weird because she always had something to say.

"This is awkward, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she gave a fake smile.

"Listen.. I'm sorry. For anything and everything I need to apologize for. For leaving without saying anything. For being such a horrible fiancé. A horrible human being, I know I can't make up for that. But I don't want you to hate me."

"I don't hate you," she realized.

"Oh, really? That's great, I'm so-"

"Because the truth is: I can't hate someone I don't care about." His face fell and she hated to keep going but she did anyway. "Tyler, if I'm being completely honest and you know I always am: I don't care for you anymore. I don't even feel like I know who you are, and you definitely do not know me. We're different people than we were five years ago. And that's okay. And it's also okay that I don't care about you. Because you're just somebody that I used to know."

He nodded, "Right. I got that. But I would like to try and be friends?"

"I want to, but I don't think I can. We didn't fit as lovers, I don't think we'll fit as friends. You hated me before we dated, remember?"

"But-"

"I'll see you around, Tyler." And with that, she walked away.

...

Stefan was sitting at his usual place at The Grill. He was cramming for his premed exam tomorrow. Since he was a year ahead of Caroline and Lexi, they didn't need to take the test so it was up to him to study by himself. He took a sip of his coke and listened to the music. Maybe he shouldn't have chosen such a noisy place because now he couldn't concentrate.

Suddenly, his vision went black. He heard someone whisper in his ear,  
"That better not be what I think it is, Mister."

He slapped the hands over his eyes and said, "It's coca cola, geez don't you trust me?" The hands left his face and he saw his best friend, Lexi Branson, standing before him. She grinned down at him as she sat down in the seat beside him.

"Of course I don't. Not during this time of year."

"It's April."

"Yeah, well, I never liked that month," she picked up his glass and drank what was left of it. She set the glass down and picked up his book, "What are you reading? Ugh, that's right you have that exam tomorrow. Sorry, buddy. I wish you luck."

"If you'll stop judging my life," he chuckled. "I can ask you what you're doing here?"

"I just came to drink, I saw my best friend, and I just had to surprise him."

He looked her up and down. "Then why're you dressed so fancy?" She was wearing a simple white dress, but she usually doesn't wear dresses unless it's a special occasion.

"Why can't I wear a dress for no reason?"

"Because you're Lexi."

She gave him a look before sighing, "Okay fine. I have a secret life where I love wearing dresses and acting girly."

He laughed, "No. Seriously. Are you on a date or something?"

She shook her head, "Not exactly. I'm meeting my roommate here because it's her friend's birthday and I was invited for a night of 'fun' or whatever. I don't have the heart to tell her than I hate her friend. Like seriously she's so annoying. But Liv is awesome, I can't tell her that Taylor is a bitch and I hope that she chokes on her birthday cake."

Stefan laughed louder than he should have. "Why do you hate her?"

"She stole my cookie in preschool, why do you think I hate her?"

"Who's this? Taylor.. The one whose dad got your dad fired from the hospital?" All those years ago when Lexi was in high school, her dad had worked as one of the best doctors in Mystic Falls, right after Grayson Gilbert. He was the reason Lexi went into the medical field. But Taylor and her prestigious family moved here and her dad got Lexi's fired. Lexi just hated that family.

Lexi nodded, "Anyway. I'm over it. I just wish she chokes on her birthday cake. Otherwise, you know I'm up for a good party," she winked.

"Ugh, if there's going to be music and stripping, I think I'm gonna pass."

"Why? You love seeing girls half naked!"

"Not in the middle of a bar. And plus, I have to study and I can't have you and your crazy party antics distract me."

"You're _so_ not fun."

"I'm trying to pass med school."

"But you'll graduate before me! You should fail so we'll graduate at the same time."

"Nah, I don't want another year of school," he said as he put his stuff together.

"Your loss. I'm a hell of a lot of fun."

He laughed and shook his head, "I know. I'll see you on Monday."

"Bye loser."

...

"Tate! What did you do?" Finn heard his wife cry from the upstairs bathroom. He took a deep breath and thought, _What did he do now? _He stood up from the couch and walked up the stairs to the bathroom. When he got there, he saw that all the white towels were covered in paint. The once all white room was spotted with blues, reds and greens.

_Oh god, do I hate the terrible twos. _

"Daddy! Save me from Mommy!" Tate squealed at his dad and ran behind his legs.

Sage looked up at Finn and gave him a look that said _talk to him, he likes you better_. Finn nodded and bent down beside is son, "Tate.. This is not a game. Do you see Mommy's face? Does she look like she's kidding?" Tate glanced at Sage, whose face was almost as red as her hair with anger. He shook his head. "She's really angry, isn't she? Why don't you apologize to Mommy for ruining her towels."

Tate slowly walked over to Sage and said, "I sowwy Mommy. I was twying to finger pwaint." He had put on his biggest pouty face, and Finn couldn't tell if he was actually sad or if Kol had taught his nephew how to get out of trouble _really_ well.

Sage gave her son a frustrated smile, "I know you're sorry. But for next time, just tell one of us when you want to paint and we'll help you, all right?" Tate nodded and gave her a hug. Finn smiled at the sight, and Sage looked at him over their son's shoulder. They both hated how out of control he was, but they had to admit he was pretty cute while doing it.

_Ring ring._

"Finn, can you get the doorbell please?" Sage asked. "And Tate, go to you room for a couple minutes so I can clean up."

Tate nodded and tromped over into his room.

"I'll be back after I answer the door to help you clean up," Finn told his wife.

"Okay," she answered.

Finn headed back down the stairs to the front door. He opened it up and saw someone he had never expected to be on his doorstep. Klaus.

"Niklaus. What are you doing here?" Finn asked his brother.

Klaus looked up at his eldest brother, "I honestly don't even know. I needed someone to talk to, I guess. May I come in?"

* * *

**Wow, lots of questions! What do you think Klaus has to talk about? And why would he go to Finn? And is there a deeper reasoning behind Kol's hatred for Esther? What are Esther's reasons for leaving the first time? Returning this time? I have this scene planned out, and I wonder what you'll think. Also, will something happen between Anna and Jeremy? Those are the main questions from this chapter that should keep you guessing until my next update!**

**I feel kind of bad because I've been focusing this story on the Original Family but since I love them so much, I guess they are the main characters? But please, if there is any character you'd like me to write a scene about, just ask! Or if you're fine with what I've been doing, that's fine too.**

**And one quick question for y'all: should Klaroline have a baby now or later in the story? They will have one eventually, but when would you guys like to see it happen?**

**Review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So I guess I'll be updating every Sunday or so, but updates can vary. So how is everyone? Are you guys ready for this chapter? Well, here it is! Enjoy ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**

* * *

Klaus walked into his eldest brother's house, following him into the living room and taking a seat on the couch. His brother took a seat across from him on the chair and shot him a worried look. Finn was completely confused about why Klaus was here. Don't get him wrong, Finn and Klaus are brothers and they love each other but they're the two Mikaelson siblings who don't always see eye to eye. It's just easier to say that they're the least close out of the five siblings. And with that said, Finn wondered why Klaus came to _him _for whatever problem he has going on. Rebekah is the sibling Klaus confides the most in, and when he needs experienced advice he goes to Elijah, and when he can't talk to either of them it's always Kol because he may seem intimidating but he's actually the easiest to talk to. Finn can't remember the last time him and Klaus had a heartfelt conversation, probably right after Mikael died.

"I'm sorry for just showing up," Klaus spoke up snapping Finn out of his reverie. Finn now knew that something was up because Klaus never apologizes to him.

"Oh. It's okay. Tate just made a mess in the bathroom and Sage is pissed off and I'd rather have a distraction right now."

"Ah, that little rascal. I knew there was a reason I liked him."

"Yeah, either you or Kol taught him bad behavior."

"Don't look at me," Klaus put his hands up in defense and laughed.

Finn gave a small smile before changing the subject. "So.. Why are you here?"

Klaus' smile faded. He eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out a way to speak the words he wanted to say. "I have a question to ask you."

"About?"

"Mother."

"Oh. Continue."

"Why didn't you want her to come back?" This question had been on Klaus' mind for the past week and a half. He knew that Finn was always the closest with their mother, and was the most heartbroken when she left. He was also the first to forgive her. He couldn't think of why he didn't want her back. It was on _everyone's _mind.

Finn took a deep breath and tried to piece together his response. "I-I.. When.. When she first came back and we moved out here.. I was pissed off, you remember that. I was almost done with university, and she had actually revoked my scholarship- can you even do that?- and I had to finish it here. I was angry at her for that, and for leaving us with Mikael. But she was still my mother.. I remembered her reading me stories when I was a boy, and tucking me in when I was sick. She never explained why she left, and I guess I never needed one because she came back to me. To us. But when she left the second time- it didn't matter to me that we were all above eighteen, that father was dead, that you and Kol didn't talk to her, none of that mattered because those shouldn't have been the reasons why she left. But she did anyway. I found that cowardly. She only called once a year on birthdays, communicated a few times over the internet, but barely anything. She just wasn't the same when she came back. And I feel bad for you, Kol, and Rebekah because she left when you guys were still kids and you didn't get a lot of years with her when she actually acted like our mother. I just didn't want her back this time, I can't really explain it."

Klaus nodded as if he agreed with what his brother just said, which he did. The only _good _memory he has about his mother is when he was seven years old and Mikael had just hit him so hard he fell through the wall and blamed _him_ for the damage; and Esther took Klaus to bed and held him as he fell asleep and told him that he _was not_ worthless and that his dad was a horrible person and a liar and that Klaus would prove him wrong one day and that she would be so proud; he was crying as he fell asleep but she kept telling him over and over how much she loved him no matter what and she kissed his crusty, blood covered, blonde hair. It was one of the few times she got involved with her children, especially Klaus, after Mikael hurt them. She was always too scared to stand up to her husband, but the few times she comforted them as they fell asleep are the only good memories Klaus has of her.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked as he noticed his younger brother just stare at the wall for several minutes. "Are you crying?" He asked as he saw Klaus' dark blue eyes cloud up with tears.

Klaus reached his hand up to wipe his eyes and coughed, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was thinking of... Do you remember when Mikael-" his mouth filled with bile as he thought of his abuser, "He was really drunk one night, and he pushed me through the wall?" Finn nodded but inside he didn't want to think about it because all the screaming that night was horrible. He's pretty sure Rebekah cried more than Klaus. "That was a horrible night, but it was what happened _after _that I like to remember. Mother.. She never did anything after Mikael's tantrums, but that night.. She picked me up from the floor and cleaned me up and brought me to bed. She tucked me in, kissed my head, held me as she told me _'Do not listen to your father. He is a liar; you are not worthless. You are a beautiful child and you will go far in life. Do not listen to him; you have plenty of people who love you. Your brothers and sister love you. Mummy loves you so very much. And she wishes that she could help more. But she wants you to know that she really does love you. And she knows that one day you will prove that horrible man wrong, and mummy will be so very proud.'_" And yes, Klaus still remembers every word of a conversation that happened twenty years ago.

"Well, she was right. You are not worthless, brother. And you have proved Mikael wrong: you found Caroline and you have a new life with her and people who love you. I don't know if mother is proud of you or not, but let me tell that _I am_."

...

It was early Saturday morning and Elena stood in her kitchen, leaning against the counter drinking hot coffee in her pajamas. She remembers doing this when she was younger, and missed waking up on Saturday to just have a lazy day drinking coffee in her fuzzy pink slippers. She laughed to herself trying to picture her now wearing her favorite pajamas from when she was twelve.

"Morning, my lovely wife," Damon sang as he entered the kitchen. Elena looked up from her cup and shot him a big smile.

"Morning, my brooding husband," she teased.

"I think you mean 'sexy, wonderful, amazing husband.'"

"Okay, then you're a vain husband too."

He grinned, taking her cup and set it down on the counter before leaning down and capturing her lips in a lingering kiss. She smiled into the kiss, reaching her hands up to tangle them in his hair and pulling him closer. He rested his hands around her waist before pulling away to kiss her nose.

"You have a cute nose, have I ever told you that?" He asked her. She giggled and shook her head, saying,  
"I lost track of all the compliments you've given me over the years."

"Well, I'll just start from scratch then."

She loves mornings like this: they get to have a few moments together, acting like complete love-sick newlywed couples. She loves that they can still act like this after so many years together, and hopes they'll have five hundred more Saturdays like this.

"Do you have the day off today, right?" She asked as she started playing with his dark hair.

"Yes, and we have plans tonight."

"We do?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I was going to hang out with Ric and Enzo tonight but then I remembered that you and me haven't had a night out together in a while-"

"I'm not being an outsider as you do shots with your buddies-"

"Will you let me finish?" He poked her sides jokingly. "So Alaric is bringing Jenna and I know you haven't seen your Aunt in a while."

"So, basically, Enzo will be a fifth wheel?"

"I thought about that. And I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"You know that Enzo hates you setting him up."

"Yes, but he'll thank me for this later." Elena rolled her eyes. "You remember my friend Rose-Marie?"

"Wasn't she your girlfriend in high school?" Elena asked, although her tone was genuinely curious and not jealous. She's learned to not get jealous over Damon's ex-girlfriends because she knows that he got around before they were together- he _is _one of Mystic Falls most attractive (non-available) bachelors, and plus she is the one who dated his brother for two years.

"Not really _girlfriend_ girlfriend, more like _really __good _friend who happened to be a girl." At that comment, Elena rolled her eyes once again.

"So what about her? You're gonna set her up with Enzo? Do they even know each other?"

"I don't think so. She moved away right before I met Enzo, but we still kept in contact. We haven't seen each other in like twelve years though, so she's coming down for a visit. I'm trying to convince her to stay here and not go back to boring ole' Boston, so I thought if she gets a boyfriend and is reminded about how awesome her good buddy Damon is then she'll stay and join my drinking club."

"Is that the only reason you have friends? So you have people to drink with?"

"That's not my _only _reason, Elena. So, what do you think of my plan?"

"Sounds interesting, and I can't wait to see how it plays out."

"You like it?"

"Count me in," she said which made him grin. A thought occurred to her and she gasped, "Wait! We can't go out tonight, because who's going to watch Christian?"

"All covered. Stefan said he'd do it."

"On such short notice?"

"Yes."

"But doesn't he have a test this morning?"

"Its starts at eight, I'm pretty sure he'll be done by seven tonight."

"Thank god for Stefan. He's a life saver."

"I know. Why did you _ever_ break up with him?" He teased.

She hit his arm a little too hard, "Because of your stupid face."

"You love my stupid face," he pointed out.

"That I do," she leaned up to kiss him.

...

"God, why does planning a wedding have to be so much work?" Rebekah asked as she went through the list she had made for what they needed to decide on for their wedding. She didn't realize how many things she wrote down until now. She must have lost count and just wrote whatever came to her mind.

Matt looked over her shoulder and said, "Holy crap. Are you sure we need all of that stuff? We already figured out like twenty things."

Rebekah was siting crossed-legged on Matt's bed, while he leaned backwards against his pillow. It was only eight o'clock in the morning but Rebekah was bored so she grabbed her journal dedicated to wedding details.

"Yeah, well. Let's do a couple of things each day. We're still doing the date on Christmas Eve, right?"

"If you want to, yeah."

"I don't know why but I think getting married on a holiday makes it special, so yes I want to still do it on that day." She looked over at him and smiled sheepishly.

"If you wanted to do it on a holiday, then why not Valentine's Day?" He teased.

"Because everyone gets married on Valentine's Day!" She gently slapped his shoulder and laughed.

He sat up and kissed her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder. "So what's the next thing we need to figure out?"

She glanced down at the list. "Who do you want to be your best man? Jeremy?"

Matt thought for a second, "I guess so. But Tyler and I have been best friends since we were five. But at this point in time; Jeremy and I are closer.. I don't know. Wait, I also need groomsmen right?"

"If we want to have more than one friend up there with us. I don't really have many friends, so I don't even know who I want up there with me. I'm going to have Elena, maybe Lexi. I wish Stefan was a girl so he could be my maid of honor."

Matt laughed really hard before asking, "Do you think your brothers would be my groomsmen?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"Aren't the bride's brothers or the groom's sisters supposed to be part of the bridal party?"

"They don't _have _to. I'll ask them. That's very sweet that you thought of them, though."

"I try," Matt joked as moved Rebekah's hair to one side and kissed her shoulder. "So if I ask your brothers, it means that Katherine, Sage, Caroline and Bonnie have to be part of your bridal party."

Rebekah groaned, "Nooo. Whyyy?"

Matt chuckled and sat back again. "Why don't you like them?"

"Katherine's a bitch, Sage is a peasant, Caroline's just plain annoying, and Bonnie's too goody two-shoes."

"Well, that's nice," he said sarcastically. "Come on, they're your sister-in-laws, at least try to like them."

"I _do _try."

"No, you don't. I know you. Seriously, what is the real reason you don't like them?"

Rebekah sighed. "I don't know. I mean, yes Katherine is a bitch, and Caroline is a little annoying, but... All of them are legit perfect for my brothers if you think about it. Sage wouldn't leave Finn even if hell froze over, and he needs someone who won't abandon him. Elijah's too proper and stiff; he needs someone like Katherine who can show him how to have fun and let loose a little bit. Klaus has anger issues; he needs someone like Caroline, she may be a little too perky but she's his bright light in the dark and he could use a little happiness and kindness. Kol's a bad boy, and Bonnie just rounds him out. You know, they all just _fit. _It's pretty amazing. Not to mention, they're all incredibly happy."

"So, what's the problem?"

"I guess it's just.. Growing up as the only girl in the family, especially after my mom left, I was used to being the favorite girl in their lives. None of them really dated when we lived in London, except when Elijah dated Celeste but that just ended up tragic. Kol dated around a lot once we moved here, but he didn't really care about any of those relationships until Bonnie. He actually tries with her. And.. I just feel sort of left out. I can't really explain it. And I like them a lot more than I did all those years ago. I loathed Caroline in high school, remember?"

"That was funny all the times you guys competed for things," Matt chuckled. "Everything she wanted, you wanted. Whatever you wanted, she got it. Funny how you ended up dating her ex-boyfriend, and she ends up with your brother."

"Yeah, good times," Rebekah thought of when her and Caroline fought over which decade to do for the decade dance. And who should tutor Matt. And homecoming queen. Okay, they fought over a lot of stuff in high school. But they're pretty good friends now, Rebekah just thinks Caroline's a bit annoying.

"Speaking of high school.. Remember our first date?"

Rebekah thought back and a huge smile crossed her face. She leaned back beside him and turned her head so she was looking at him. "You took me bowling and were appalled that I had never been before. It's not my fault that my town didn't have a bowling alley!"

"And yet you still kicked my ass," Matt chuckled. "Was that even our first date? Because I believe we had just met."

"No, we met in homeroom when I dropped my pencil. It was my first day, and you walked me to my classes because I had no clue where I was going. We didn't have any classes together because I was a year behind, but you always said hi to me in the hall so I kept thinking that you were trying to have sex with me, but then after a couple weeks, you asked me to go bowling. I consider it a date because that was when I realized I actually liked you. That you were different, because I got to know you. And then I waved to you every day I passed you in the hall, and we just kept hanging out after school, until I finally had to make the first move and kiss you on my door step."

"I remember that kiss! I was actually really nervous to kiss you because I was scared that you'd punch me if I made a move.. I also remember Kol coming out like a second later threatening to hit me with a baseball bat."

"He was just being protective."

"Sureee."

Rebekah laughed and kissed his arm. She dangled her right arm over his torso and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. "I can't wait to be married." He kissed her hair as a sign of agreement.

...

"I can't wait to go to Kol-ey's house!" Emma exclaimed as Jeremy pulled his car into Kol's parking lot. Bonnie moved all hers' and Emma's stuff into Kol's place yesterday, but Emma spent the day and night with Jeremy so Emma hasn't seen the condo yet. It's all she's been talking about since yesterday- besides when she claims that _"Daddy has a crush on the cashier girl!"_

"Well, we're here, Em." Jeremy pulled the key out of the ignition.

"Yay!" Emma hurriedly undid her seatbelt and threw her door open, jumping out and taking off toward the building.

"Emma!" Jeremy yelled as he rushed out of the car and ran after the five-year old. She was already waiting at the back door and banging of the door so they'll let her in. Jeremy reached the door and picked her up, throwing her up on his shoulders. She squirmed to get down as the door flew open, revealing both Bonnie and Kol on the other side. To the couple's embarrassment- Jeremy's as well- their hair was messed up, Kol's shirt was on backwards, Bonnie's right shoulder was showing from her shirt being yanked down, and both of their lips seemed swollen. Jeremy also noticed a small red mark on Kol's collar bone. _Maybe nine o'clock on a Saturday morning wasn't a good time to come over. _

"Morning, guys," Jeremy grinned, flashing them a knowing smile.

Bonnie's cheeks flushed while Kol glared at the father-daughter duo. "Nice of you to come over at 9 A.M." Kol groaned.

Jeremy laughed and took Emma off his shoulders, "It was this kid who woke me up at seven. This has been all she's talked about since yesterday."

Emma jumped out of her dad's arms and ran to hug Kol. "I get to live with you now! We're gonna have a lot of fun!" She then reached over to hug Bonnie, "Hi mommy!"

"Hey Em," they both laughed simultaneously.

"Now bye!" Emma cheered as she ran into the house, leaving the three adults in awkward silence.

"Hey.. Jeremy," Kol greeted as he scratched his head. "So, how was your day yesterday?"

Jeremy couldn't help but laugh. But then he said, "It was fun, we went to the park and then Emma made me watch Disney Movies. Oh and just so you know, if Emma starts talking about me and this cashier: I do not have a crush on her!"

"Ooh, a crush?" Bonnie teased.

Jeremy's voice went high as he said,  
"No, it's nothing." Bonnie and Kol knew he was lying.

"What's her name?" Bonnie asked.

"Anna," Jeremy answered immediately.

"Ahh, you remember her name. You definitely like her," Kol grinned.

"Shut up, guys. How would you feel if I tease you about your love life? Or should I say sex life?"

"There's a child in the other room!" Bonnie hissed as she reached through the threshold to playfully push her ex-boyfriend's shoulder.

"Well, just a FYI: Kol, your shirt is backwards, and Bonnie, you might want to watch where you bite because I could see that hickey on his neck a mile away."

"_Shut up!"_

...

It was now evening at the Kalijah Household. Elijah retired early for the day because he didn't feel like listening to his mother any longer. Katherine had just finished her shower and walked into their bedroom wearing her fluffy, hot pink robe, and her towel wrapped around her wet hair. She flopped down on her side of the bed, sending her husband a big smile.

"Why're you so happy?" Elijah smiled back. Every time she smiled, he couldn't happen but smile too.

"I'm just happy." She shrugged. She rested her hand on her stomach, it had become a regular thing these past few weeks. It was a security thing for Katherine: to rest her hands on her stomach, like she was protecting her child. "I wonder if it'll be a girl or a boy. I want a girl! What do you want?" She asked him.

Elijah was taken back by the question. He had known about the baby for weeks now, but he honestly never thought about whether he wanted a son or a daughter. "We still have like three months before we can find out the gender, Katherine."

"I know, but you know I like to get stuff done early."

"Get what done?"

"Names."

"Names?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to start think of names _now_?"

"It's never too early to start thinking of what we'll call someone for the rest of their life."

"I'm not winning this argument, am I?"

"Nope," she said while popping the _p._

"Okay, so what names do you want to name the baby if it's a girl?"

Katherine thought for a moment, "I really like the name Sophia. Juliette and Isabelle are pretty too. But I don't know, I feel like those names are too girly."

"Any daughter of yours will grow up loving clothes and shoes," Elijah pointed out.

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't? I don't want to give her a name that doesn't describe who she is. Like I _am _a Katherine."

"Your name means _pure._"

She feigned hurt and slapped his shoulder, "Shush! Seriously though, naming a kid takes so much pressure. Why do we have to name the kid right after he or she is born? Why can't we wait until they develop a personality? Or can't they just name themselves?"

"Katherine," he put his hand on her forearm. "Calm down."

"What if we named her something like Hope or Patience?"

"Nadia means 'hope' in Slovakia."

Katherine smiled, "I actually like that name. But I can't get the name Sophia out of my head. We could have Nadia as her middle name? But both names ending in _a _sounds weird."

"Maybe Sophie Nadia? But Sophia Nadia doesn't sound too bad."

"Sophia Nadia Mikaelson. I like the sound of that."

"We're using my name?" Elijah asked with a small smile. He knows how proud she is of her last name, he thought she'd want to use her name.

"Yeah. Unless you don't want to? I know, because of.."

"No, it's okay. I shouldn't discontinue the name."

"I really like the name Mikaelson, though. Oh, and now what about for a boy?"

"I don't know.. How does Hayden Lucas Mikaelson sound?"

"I really like it! Wow, you're way better at picking out names than me." Katherine took Elijah's hands and placed them on her stomach. She started talking to her stomach, "Are you a Sophia or a Hayden?"

Elijah bent his head to place a kiss on her stomach and whispered, "Hi little one. I can't wait for you to get here." If only they could feel the baby kicking excitedly at the sound of its parents' voices.

...

"Thank you so much for watching Chris on such short notice," Elena told Stefan as she watched Damon chase their son around Stefan's front yard.

"No problem, Elena. I'm always happy to see my favorite nephew," Stefan grinned.

"He's your only nephew."

"Not unless you two start popping out more kids," Stefan joked.

"Oh my god, don't even say that!" She pushed his shoulder. "I'm not ready for another kid."

Stefan laughed. "Are you guys planning on having another one in the future?"

"I'm not talking about this with you right now!"

"Is that a yes?"

"We want to try for a girl in a few years, but that's ways a way."

"You should name her Stefanie," he joked.

"Oh, yeah sure." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Good choice in name, she'll go far."

Elena smiled at him.

"Elena, it's time to go," Damon called her.

Christian ran up the steps and hugged Elena's legs, "Bye mommy!"

Elena bent down to kiss her son's forehead. "Bye, sweetheart. Be good for Uncle Stefan, all right?"

Damon showed up behind her and said, "Elena. Don't confuse the poor kid, I told him to make Steffy's life miserable."

"You did not!" Elena hit his arm.

"Don't worry Elena. If Chris is anything like Damon, I can handle it." Stefan picked up his nephew and ruffled his hair.

"Watch the hair, dude," Christian swat at Stefan's hand.

"That's my boy!" Damon laughed as he leaned forward to kiss his son. "Bye, buddy. We'll see you tomorrow morning, kay?"

"Night!" The three-year old cheered as he leaned his head against his Uncle's.

"Bye!" Christian and Stefan waved as Elena and Damon drove away.

They arrived at The Grill twenty minutes later. As they walked in, they noticed Alaric and Jenna waiting at a table for six.

"Aunt Jenna!" Elena exclaimed as she saw her aunt who's only five years older than her. She ran to hug her. "How are you?" She asked.

"I'm great! You? I hear your book is being published?" Jenna answered.

Elena smile sheepishly, "Yeah.."

"Why don't I hear from you? I had to hear about the book from Jeremy and Alaric."

"I'm sorry, we need to hang out more."

"We do," Jenna said. Even though Jenna raised Elena for a few years after her parents died, they're relationship wasn't all guardian/child. They were friends, too. Jenna was closer in age to her niece and nephew than she was to her own sister.

Jenna and Elena looked over at their husbands who were already talking about the football game that was on last week. They rolled their eyes and shared a look that said _boys. _

"Hello ladies and gentlemen!" Enzo announced his arrival from behind the two women. He dangled his arms around Elena's and Jenna's shoulders in a friendly way.

"Hey Enzo," the two girls gave their husbands' best friend a smile.

"You know I'm always happy to see your pretty faces, but I'm not so excited about being a fifth wheel," he told them.

Damon and Alaric now walked over to the trio. "Don't worry, buddy," Damon grinned. "I might have done a little something."

Enzo took his arms off of Elena and Jenna, and turned to glare at his friend. "You did what?"

"I think he's saying he set you up," Alaric said.

Enzo punched Damon's shoulder, a little too hard, "Mate! You know I hate it when you do that. And you know I'm not ready to date again."

"Yes, you are." Damon looked at the door and saw Rose walk into the restaurant. "And here she is." He raised his hand and shouted, "Hey stranger!"

Rose looked his way and grinned. "Damon!" She lightly ran to her old friend and engulfed him in a big hug. "I missed you!"

"I miss you, too! How is Boston?"

"It's okay. How's things in Mystic Falls?"

"Just great. You should totally move back," he winked.

"I might have to," she joked. Damon heard the teasing in her voice, but still hoped she would move back.

He turned toward the party of four behind them and started the introductions. "My friends, this is Rose-Marie: one of my close friends from before I knew any of you. She moved away twelve years ago, but we still kept in contact. Rose, this is my lovely wife Elena," he gestured to Elena who waved and gave a smile. Rose was happy to finally meet Elena; she's heard so much about her and Christian. "My drinking buddy, Alaric but you can call him Ric. His wife, Jenna." Alaric and Jenna both smiled at Rose. "And finally, my cell mate: Lorenzo, but you can call him Enzo. Or whatever you want, because he's your date for the night."

"My date?" Rose raised her eyebrow.

"Yes, he's setting you up," Elena repeated the news.

Rose shared a look with Enzo and gave a small smile. Enzo had barely moved since he saw Rose run over to Damon. She had shoulder-length brown hair, and bright green eyes. She was stunning, he had to admit. And if Damon liked her, then that's one of the best compliments you could ever get, Enzo believes.

Damon looked at Enzo who was still staring at Rose. He shared a look with Elena that said _my plan is totally working._

Alaric nudged Enzo to snap him out of his trance.

Enzo broke out of his reverie and gave a big smile. "Should we get this night started then?"

...

Esther sat on the edge of her bed Sunday morning. She has been in Mystic Falls only a week, but she thinks it's time she tells her children things they never knew about their father, about their family, about her; like why she left thirteen years ago, why she decided to move them to America, and why she came back now. She knows its only right they know all of this now, because there's not enough time left.

She walked downstairs and saw Elijah curled up on the couch with Katherine sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around her and his chin resting on her head. A purple blanket was wrapped around the couple and Esther couldn't help but smile to herself.

She walked up to them and gently touched her son's shoulder. "Elijah," she whispered.

He turned his head to look at her. "Mother," he acknowledged. "Good morning."

She smiled at how polite he was, even if she knew that he secretly didn't want her here as much as his siblings.  
"I was wondering if you ask your brothers and sister to come over today?"

He was hesitant, "I don't think they-"

"It's important. Don't tell them I'll be here if you have to. Tell them whatever to get them here. I need all of you here."

"Can't this wait? Why don't you let Niklaus and Kol warm up to you-"

"This can not wait. It's urgent, and we're running out of time."

Elijah was shocked about the phrase _"We're running out of time."_ Running out of time for what? But nonetheless, around ten o'clock, he called all of his siblings and asked them to come over because he wanted to talk to all of them. Of course Klaus and Kol asked about Esther, but Elijah swore she would be out until this evening. He hated lying to them, he felt incredibly horrible.

And hour later, the five siblings were all seated around the kitchen table. Elijah had told them all that there was an emergency about the baby. Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn thought they were waiting for Katherine, who actually went out with Elena for the day, when instead they were waiting for their mother.

"So, we started thinking about names for the baby," Elijah continued the conversation. Rebekah had just asked them if they'd be Matt's groomsmen in the wedding, and they all said they'd do it. "What do you guys think of Sophia Nadia for a girl, and Hayden Lucas for a boy?"

"Those names are beautiful," Rebekah answered as she reached over Kol to take a handful of jellybeans.

"I especially like the Hayden part," Finn said.

"Speaking of the baby.." Klaus started.

"Where's Katherine?" Kol finished.

"Oh," Elijah said. "She should be here soon."

And he was right. She did walk into the room a few seconds later. Except the _she _wasn't Katherine, it was Esther.

Klaus stood up so fast you would have thought he was a vampire, "What the hell is she doing here? I thought you said she was out until later today!"

"That's what he told me, too!" Kol added as he stood up too. Rebekah and Finn followed suit and stood up as well.

"I am so sorry, she told me to get you guys here-" Elijah said.

"You tricked us?" Rebekah asked.

"I can't imagine you doing this," Kol said.

"Why would you do this? You know I didn't want to see her." Klaus asked.

"Guys, maybe he has a reason," Finn tried to reason.

"I could have thought you doing this like ten years ago," Kol told his eldest brother. "But Elijah? Never."

"You never sell out the people you love," Rebekah accused Elijah.

"It's not that I don't love you, I do!"

"Children!" Esther shouted. All of them turned their heads towards her. It was funny, that was the first time she felt like their mother in years. "Don't yell at Elijah, he was just doing what I asked him. I need _all _of you here."

"Why?" Klaus shared a look with his sister.

Esther took a deep breath and looked at all five of their faces. "There is something that all of you need to know. A lot of things, actually. I have to tell you now, because there's not much time left."

The siblings' faces all shown of confusion, curiosity, anger, and sadness. Some more than others. Rebekah took a deep breath as she prepared for what her mother had to say. Elijah still wondered what the not-much-time-left had to do with anything. Finn was curious, but mostly hoped he'd get answers. Kol's eyes shown with anger, but he was also extremely confused. Klaus just stood there completely expressionless. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what he was expecting to hear. But all five them had one thing in common: none of them wanted to be there, but did at the same time.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you... I don't know if it'll make you hate me more, or maybe even less. But it's something that you should have known a long time ago."

* * *

**Mwahaha how's _that_ for a cliff hanger?! What do you guys think Esther will tell the Originals? Leave your guesses in your review!**

**And lol what do you guys think of Damon setting up Rose and Enzo? And we finally got to meet Jenna! **

**And do you guys like the names Kalijah picked out? I've just had the names Hayden and Sophia set since the story started, but the middle names can change? Now the question for you guys is.. Should the baby be Sophia or Hayden, or both?**

**Lot's of things will happen next chapter! Review if you want to read it :)**

**Until next time xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! How's life? Are you excited for TVD and/or TO coming back on Thursday? I am! But I have an away game that day so I reallyyyy hope I'm home in time. **

**So.. This chapter is based just on the Mikaelson family, and their significant others. And I know some of you were missing Caroline last chapter, don't worry she's in this one! I just couldn't figure out how to include her last chapter, but she plays a big part this chapter. Well, everyone does technically. **

**I don't know if I should have a trigger warning for this chapter, as it shouldn't be _that _much of a trigger but you never know. And I'm sorry I forgot to put one for earlier chapters. **

**This chapter isn't very exciting.. Mostly sad.. And kind of a filler.. But I hope you enjoy it anyway :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters. Only the storyline.**

* * *

_"Now, what I'm about to tell you... I don't know if it'll make you hate me more, or maybe even less. But it's something that you should have known a long time ago."_

Esther took a deep breath as she looked at the faces of her children. They were now seated in the living room; Elijah, Rebekah and Klaus sitting on the couch, Kol wanting his own space on the loveseat, and Finn took his place on the chair. She stood in front of the fireplace where they could all see her. As the five siblings sat there quietly, waiting for their mother to start, she had told them,  
"Please save your remarks and questions, and your yelling until the end. I'll never get to say everything if one of you bursts up and walks out. I need you all here, and to listen."

As much as they didn't want to, they nodded. And with that, she started her story.

"I honestly do not know how to start this, but I guess it'll help to start with stuff you only half know. And I hate to start here, but I need to. Your father... He wasn't always the man you remember. When I met him, he was young and happy. He didn't have a lot of problems with drinking, but his anger was still there. But there was some good qualities, which was why I married him. But trust me, after what he did to all of you.. It cancels every reason why I ever loved him.

I know you guys don't remember your brother Aaron, as he died before any of you were born, but let me just say that your father loved him, and was heartbroken when he died. I was too, but your brother's death took a toll on your father. He had stopped drinking when we had Aaron, as he didn't want it to be interfering with his family. But it all changed with the death of his child. I could see how this was tearing him apart, so I suggested we try again for another child. Finn, and then Elijah came into the picture. Now, don't get me wrong: your father did love you, you were both beautiful children. Easy, too: not much crying, not much trouble. It wasn't the two of you that started his downfall. It was life in general. I don't know if you two remember, but me and your father started fighting. Mostly about money and bills. And then I found out that he was having an affair.

You guys only heard that I was the one that had an affair, and I'll get to that. _He_ was the one that started it. _He_ was the one sleeping with someone ten years younger. I was angry so then I cheated on him too, and that was how Niklaus was conceived. Mikael never knew about my affair until Klaus took the blood test when he was five and found out you weren't his son. It's also not that I kept Klaus' paternity a secret, I honestly did think that Mikael was your father. And I'm sorry, but by that point in time, and especially now, I don't remember who your birth father is.

Now, Kol and Rebekah: I hate to tell you guys this, but you were not planned either. The two of you just happened. But that didn't make me love you any less, especially that I finally had a daughter. Not that you boys weren't enough, you were all beautiful children. It just put a lot of strain on the bills.

And then when Klaus was five years old and took that blood test.. You guys know what happens next: Your father turned _back _to drinking. I am incredibly ashamed that he took it out on you, Klaus. And whenever the rest of you got in his way.. I wish he understood that it wasn't any of your faults.

Now here's the part you didn't know: He wanted another child that was _his. _I kept trying to tell him that he had four of them, and it shouldn't matter that one of them wasn't his because the kid kept trying to make him happy no matter what. Mikael.. I didn't want another child. He.. But that didn't stop him. And _that _was my punishment for not being faithful. I wanted to divorce him, but the only thing keeping our marriage together was you kids. Well, on _his _part, it was Henrik. For me, it was all of you. And you might have noticed that he never did anything to Henrik, and I don't want you to think he had a favorite.. But the truth is; he did.

Flash-forward to when I left. Before I say anymore, I just want to say once again how sorry I am I didn't do more. I was just scared, and I know that's no excuse. My leaving makes me even worse, and I knew it even then. I had to leave, and I wanted to take the five of you with me. But I had nowhere to go, and I didn't think it was right to take five kids away from their education, and their home. A more selfish, and the main reason I didn't take you, was because I couldn't handle it. I was _tired._ Tired of being a mother, even if I barely was one. I was tired of the screaming and the crying. I needed to get out, and it is one of the biggest regrets of my life.

I heard about Henrik's death through the news. But I was still not ready to come home. I needed more time... Four years later, I came back with a plan to get you guys away from him. I know that Finn and Elijah were in university, and I know I should have said something before I pulled strings.. But I wasn't thinking. My plan came down in shreds when Mikael figured out what I was doing. He threatened to call the police, and he had a lot of dirt on me, if I didn't let him come with us.

And then he had alcohol poisoning, which I know the five of you felt so much relief when that happened. You guys know the rest; I tried to apologize, and it was up to you whether you wanted to forgive me or not. And when I left again, it was because I didn't feel needed. I shouldn't have left again, I know. But running was all I knew how to do.

Finally.. The reason why I came back today. Why I'm telling you all of this now. I'm not here for the wedding, or the baby. I _am _happy for all of you and your new lives.. But I came back because.. I'm dying. I don't know how much time I have left, but it's less than a year away. I needed you all to know that I really did love you, but I was just horrible at being your mother. You were wonderful children, all of you, and it's not fair that you got really rotten deals as me and Mikael as your parents. _You deserved so much better_."

Esther felt somewhat of a big weight lifted off her shoulders. She couldn't help but shed a few tears as she told her story, so she reached up to wipe her eyes. She still dreaded the reactions of her children. All five of them would blow up at any moment. As she looked at all of them, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You're only here because you're dying?" Rebekah asked, her voice cracking. Everyone was surprised that she was the one that spoke first. It was also shocking what she said. She sounded like a broken child, like she just heard that Santa wasn't real. Her brothers would have expected a screaming match, but then they remembered that Rebekah was still incredibly sensitive, no matter how strong she seemed. She was the girl who loved too easily.

"Rebekah-" Esther started.

"Don't." Rebekah stood up. Her eyes flooded with hot tears. She remembered what Matt had told her last week. _She's only your mother when it's convenient for her. _Rebekah should have known that her mother was here for her own selfish reason. She might have loved them, but she still loved herself more. That was something she left out of her story.  
"Matt was right: You're only our mother when it's convenient for _you_." She snapped at her mother. She felt her words erupting and she couldn't stop it. She was angry, and she needed to get it all out. "You came back because of you! Not us! You couldn't care less about what we feel, what we think. You just don't want to die with your children loathing you. Remember Mikael's funeral? He was _hated. No one liked him. No one cried. _You don't want that to happen to you. You're trying to make it up to us for _you! _As long as it works out for you, nothing else matters." Her anger had melted into a river of tears. She broke down and confessed, "But you know what? I needed my mother! Thirteen years ago, I needed you. I needed you six years ago." Her voice squeaked as she finished her rant, _"But I don't need you now."_

Rebekah had all four of her brothers reach out to comfort her, but it was Klaus who got there first. He gently touched her arm to pull her into a hug. Normally, she would have given in and cry in his arms, but she didn't. She pushed him away and turned around, walking out of the living room. Klaus wanted to go follow her but he just turned back to his mother.

"Is that true?" Klaus asked. "You just don't want us to hate you when you die?"

Esther shook her head, "I don't know where she got that from. I _do _care about how you guys feel-"

"That wasn't the question," Elijah stood up for his brother and sister. "I get that you want to make it up to us, but for who? You or us?"

When Esther didn't answer, Elijah knew his sister was right.

"I'm sorry you're dying, but no; I won't forgive you," Kol spoke up. "Like Bekah, I needed my mom," Kol's voice cracked. He didn't want to yell; he was sick of yelling. He was tired of hating her. "I don't hate you, but I don't love you either."

"We did get a rotten deal with you as our mother," Finn spoke up. He had been quiet this entire time. He didn't know what to say this time. He felt sympathetic for his mother; Mikael hurt her too. But she wasn't a complete victim in all of this, and she's acting like she is. She admitted to faults, and he couldn't just forget them. "You're just a really selfish person."

"We all needed someone better," Elijah said. "You don't get to leave for over half a decade, and come back to say you're sorry and expect us to live happily ever after. It doesn't work that way."

"I spent my entire life feeling worthless and hated," Klaus croaked. "I didn't care what you had to say then, and I don't care what you have to say now." He wanted to yell, but he couldn't find the voice. Like Rebekah, he probably would have broken down if he tried to yell. Like Kol, he was tired of yelling. He was just tired of everything.

They all were.

"You want me to tell them?" Kol asked his mother with venom in his voice. There was something his siblings never knew. He should have told them much sooner. More like twelve years ago when it happened.

"Kol-" She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"She was the one who killed Henrik!" He shouted. He found his voice to yell, but it kept scratching. "He survived the car wreck. When the rest of you were sleeping in the waiting room, I saw her! She went into his room, I couldn't see what she did, but once she left, all the nurses ran to his room. Five minutes later, they told Mikael, who was in the bathroom when she killed our baby brother, that he suffocated to death. I was just pretending to sleep, so I saw and heard everything. Mikael told us Henrik died right on the spot because the suffocation could have been ruled as a murder, and he didn't want us to know that. But I knew. I saw everything."

Finn, Elijah and Klaus all stared at Kol. They knew their youngest brother would never lie about anything, especially something like this. He cared too much about his siblings. He wouldn't lie about Henrik, considering how close Kol was with him. The three of them turned their heads to Esther, who stared at a Kol with an incredulous look. She couldn't believe he had said that, nor that he knew. Elijah saw her guilty glance at the floor, and before she could come up with a lie, he growled,  
"I want you out of this house. I want you away from all five of us until further notice. I want you away from Tate, away from Emma, away from Katherine and our child. Get your stuff, go to a hotel or a nursing home, I couldn't care less. _Just get out_."

"Elijah," Esther cried.

"Did you think killing him would make things easier for us?" Klaus asked. "It didn't. It made things worse. Especially for me."

"You really are a horrible person," Finn said.

"You had a lot of nerve to even tell your story," Kol accused. "You left the most important part out. I bet you weren't counting on me knowing."

"I can't even look at you," Klaus glared at the woman standing before him.

"I-" she tried to say something but she knew it was useless. Her sons were looking at her with so much hate in their eyes, she knew any progress she might have made had been erased. She didn't blame Kol for saying something, she should have included that part in her story. She was just afraid of how they'd react to that. It was exactly what happened. At least now she knew why Kol hated her so much.

"Get out, now." Elijah gave her one last warning.

She nodded and walked to her room. Ten minutes later, she had gathered all her stuff and exited the house without saying a word. She did it again; she left.

...

They don't know how it happened, but it turned into a Mikaelson sibling intervention led by their significant others. Katherine was supposed to hang out with Elena, but she had to do something for Jenna and Alaric, so she sent Caroline instead. Neither were thrilled about hanging out, but they actually had somewhat of a fun time shopping. They ended up going to The Grill, where both Matt and Bonnie were working. Ten minutes after Katherine and Caroline had arrived, Sage had walked in to grab some lunch, so they invited her to sit with them, which Sage appreciated because she doesn't really know them that well and it was nice to talk to them. Caroline kept having Bonnie sit down with them. And then Matt ended up sitting down too. Since Matt was the manager, he and Bonnie took a longer break than normal. They ended up talking about the crazy siblings they loved so much. Little did they know that the Mikaelson siblings had just been told things that will ruin everything.

"You know.." Caroline started. "I don't think I've ever seen Rebekah drunk. Even at that party in high school where legit everyone was puking by midnight." They had been talking about a party Caroline, Matt and Katherine went to in college. It was the one where Stefan introduced her to Klaus. But besides that point, they remembered when Katherine had gotten super drunk and danced on the tables and made out with random people (it was when she and Elijah had broken up and she was on the rebound.)

"Yeah.." Matt sighed. "She doesn't like to drink that much. I've noticed that she only drinks when there's something on her mind. Something wrong. But even then, she doesn't even drink half the bottle."

"Elijah only drinks on special occasions like holidays or parties," Katherine spoke up. "It's like me only eating chocolate cake on my birthday."

"Finn's the same way," Sage agreed with Katherine.

"Kol never has more than two bottles or glasses at a time. I've never seen him even a little tipsy," Bonnie spoke up.

"Klaus is kind of a mix of all of that.. He has a lot of self-control," Caroline said. She has noticed that even if Klaus drinks a lot, it's only when he needs it. And it's never a lot at one time. She never noticed anything weird about it until she now heard his siblings' drinking habits.

"It's probably because of their father," Matt muttered bitterly.

"They don't want to be like him," Sage added. "I know that Finn is worried that it's genetic."

"Wait, what is?" Caroline asked.

"You don't know?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"Know what?" Bonnie didn't know either.

"About their childhood..? Their father?"

"I heard something about their father being.." Caroline trailed off.

Katherine shared a look with Sage. She glanced at Matt, "Do you know?" He nodded.

"You guys should probably ask Klaus and Kol," Sage told Caroline and Bonnie.

"Definitely soon, as their mom is having an intervention of her own right now," Katherine revealed.

"What?!" The four of them all exclaimed.

"Yeah, Elijah had to trick the rest of them because that bitch was like 'I need to tell _all _of you something. Please, it's important, there's not much time'" Katherine mocked her mother-in-law. "I hate her. I can also tell she doesn't like me, like I'm awesome, thank you."

"Katherine-" Matt started.

"I don't like her either," Sage agreed.

"Wait, what does that even mean?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know!" Katherine said. "But whatever it is, I bet Kol or Klaus wasn't so excited to see her walk in the house."

"Should I expect Kol to come home all upset? Or angry?" Bonnie asked. She has only been with him for not even a full year yet, and the subject of his mother never came up. She doesn't know what to expect, as she hasn't even met the woman.

"Probably both," Katherine shrugged. "Elijah's supposed to text me when it's safe to come home."

"Safe?" Caroline gasped.

"You know, he expected yelling so... Yelling's not really good for the baby to be around."

"That's horrible.." Caroline said.

"What's their mother like?" Bonnie asked.

"Well.." Sage looked at Katherine who shrugged. "She's nice, but I don't.. Something about the way she acts, you can just tell she's fake. That she has a motive. I think the siblings are starting to see through her façade. They weren't able to see it before because they were young, and needed their mother."

"She doesn't even act like their mother, especially from what I heard about their childhood," Katherine finished.

"When I met her," Caroline spoke up. "She like barged into our house, uninvited, and started yelling at us. It was really embarrassing. And she seemed really..."

"Evil?" Katherine guessed.

"Sure," Caroline shrugged.

_Beep beep, beep beep_ went Katherine's phone.

"That's probably Elijah," she said as she reached into her pocket to take out her phone.

The text read,  
_You can come back now. _

"He said I can go back now," she told her in-laws.

_Did your siblings go home or nah? _She texted back.

A few seconds later he responded,  
_Yes._

_Kay. Be home soon._

"Your boyfriends slash fiancé slash husband are going home so maybe we better cut this chitchat short," Katherine said as she stood up. The rest of them followed suit.

"Bonnie, why don't you go home," Matt told her as the other three women put on their coats.

"But I'm working for another two hours.." Bonnie glanced at the clock.

"I'll cover your shift, just go home to your boyfriend."

"What about Rebekah?" She asked.

Matt sighed, "I'll just.. I'll clock us both out for an emergency."

Within five minutes; Katherine, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Sage were on their way home to be supportive for whatever their partner needs. Good thing because they're going to need it.

...

Katherine walked through the darkly lit foyer. It was four o'clock but it had already gotten dark out considering the rainy weather today. None of the lights were on downstairs so she figured her husband was up in their room. She set her bags on the kitchen table before heading to the stairs and walking up. Their bedroom was the first one on the right, and she noticed the door was closed.

_That's strange. Our door is never closed. Not until nighttime anyway._

She slowly opened the door and peaked inside. She turned on the light, only to be greeted by an empty room.

"Elijah?" she called. "Are you in here?" She searched through the house but she couldn't find him. She checked the garage and his car was still here. Where was he?

As she walked out of the garage, she ran right into somebody and screamed.

"Katerina!" Elijah screamed back.

"Elijah!" Katherine sighed in relief. "Where were you?"

"I went for a walk.. I needed to think.." He muttered. He looked down at her face and saw she was genuinely concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to say that what he heard today made no difference. But it did. He wanted to be fine. But the truth was that he wasn't.

He shook his head, "I'm really glad you're here." He reached out to pull her into a hug. He buried his face in her neck and felt so much better.

She sadly smiled as she gently kissed his hair. "I'm always here," she whispered.

...

"That's horrible," Sage finally said after Finn finished recalling what went down with his mother. She reached out to touch his arm, "I'm so sorry."

When Sage had arrived home after picking up Tate from his playdate, she had told him to go play in his room because she needed to talk to his dad about something very important. She found him sitting on their bed just staring at the wall. She sat beside him and gently took his hand. After moments of silence, he finally found the courage to tell her everything that he learned today.

"I am too," he sighed.

"What are you going to?"

"I don't know.. This changes everything.. I-I mean, I don't even know if the memories I have of her are even real.."

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. After a few minutes, she pulled away and her hands cupped his face. "Listen to me. Who cares if the memories aren't real? Change the memories. Make them as extraordinary as you want. They don't have to be real. They just have to make you happy. Just hold on to the good things, and not the ugly truth."

Before he could reply to her, they heard a knock on the door. As they turned their heads, the door knob turned and the door opened. A big bright blob of red hair peaked around the door. "Mommy? Daddy? Can we play now?"

Sage looked at her husband to make sure he was done talking.

"Come here, son," Finn smiled and held out his arms for his son. Tate squealed and ran to his father. His dad picked him up and gave him a hug. "You know," he spoke to his wife. "I look at Tate, and I wonder how anyone would want to hurt their child. I could never hurt him, I would never leave him." He kissed his son's curly hair. "I love him so much."

Sage ruffled their son's hair and smiled, "I do too."

Finn looked her in the eyes and said, "I never want us to be like my parents."

She fiercefully told him, "We _won't_."

...

Rebekah had called Matt and told him she was going to his house. She sounded like she was crying, and Matt knew he had to get there fast. As soon as he parked his car in the driveway, he quickly turned the ignition off and basically fell out of his car as he ran to the front door.

When Matt opened the door, he was immediately greeted by blonde hair flying into his arms. Rebekah had waited for him to get home, and she saw her chance to embrace him. She held him tight as she finally took a deep breath. After she had stormed out of the room, she still eavesdropped her brothers' conversation with their mother. Once Kol admitted he saw Esther kill Henrik, Rebekah left the house. She didn't know what she'd say to her brothers, let alone her mother. She needed to talk to the one person she trusted as much as her brothers, maybe even more.

Matt rubbed circles on her back and whispered, "Are you okay?" He kissed her temple.

She shook her head. "No. She killed him."

Matt's blood went cold._ "What?"_

"My mum.." Rebekah pulled out of the hug and sniffed. "Kol said he saw her kill my little brother."

"Woah, are you kidding?" He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the stray tears.

She shook her head. "She only came back because she's dying. She doesn't care about us.. I-I-you were right."

Matt sighed, "Rebekah.. When I said that, I did not want to be right."

"I know.. I don't want to talk anymore."

"I understand."

"I want to go to bed, and you to hold me."

He pulled her back into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I can do that."

...

Bonnie was so glad that Emma was at Jeremy's once again tonight. She didn't know what she'd hear from Kol, but she didn't want have to deal with both of them. When she entered the condo, she saw him curled up on the couch with a blanket. He was staring at the TV even if the screen was blank.

"Hey.." She jokingly knocked on the door frame.

He looked up at her and gave her a smile, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Tired?" she asked as she sat beside his feet.

He shrugged.

"Want to talk?"

He shook his head.

She sighed. "Well, whenever you want to talk, I'm here."

He reached out to grab her hand and pull her down to lay beside him. He held her hands with one hand and started playing with her hair with the other.

"Are you just going to play with my hair tonight?" She chuckled.

He found the strength to talk, "I want to talk.. But I don't want you to think differently of me."

"Why would I think any differently of you? It wasn't your fault."

He looked at her in disbelief, "You know?"

"I can guess. Today, I've heard bits and pieces."

"From who?"

"Caroline, Matt, Katherine, Sage. We kind of had an intervention about you guys."

"Oh, okay.." He didn't feel like asking any more questions. "The reason why I never talk about my parents is because one is a psychotic abusive alcoholic and the other..." and so he started his own version of the story. The story of a broken boy.

...

Caroline was pacing back and forth along the hallway in front of the front door. She paused when she heard the car turn off. She listened as his footsteps walked up the sidewalk and to the door. When the door finally opened, she was face to face with her boyfriend.

He looked shocked to see her waiting for him.

"Hey, love."

She gave a sad smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that..?" He asked warily as he closed the door behind him.

Caroline sighed, "I hung out with Katherine today.. I might have heard something."

"What did you hear?" He raised an eyebrow.

"That you had a talk with your mom.. How did it go? Are you okay?"

"Caroline.."

"I'm sorry for all these questions. I just want you to talk to me. I don't want you to shut me out."

He opened his arms, inviting her in for a hug which she gladly took. "I want to talk to you," he said into her ear.

"You know you can tell me anything," she answered.

"I'll tell you," he said. She pulled away from the hug so she could look at his face. "But first.. I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, sending shivers down her body. "Promise that you won't ever leave me. That you'll always love me."

Caroline gave her sweetest smiles and gently touched his cheek. "Of course. I love you so much."

"I love you, too." He leaned down to touch her lips in a captivating kiss. She smiled into the kiss.

After the kiss, he lead her to the living room where they sat on the couch facing each other. He told her everything.

Everything from what he heard today, and all the things his father did to him. Everything.

* * *

**Oh my god, I feel like this chapter is so bad. Ughhhh.. I'm sorry. I had writer's block and I just.. I don't even know. **

**What do you guys think of Esther's story? I had more planned to it but I couldn't think of how to word it so I said "forget it." And the whole Esther killing Henrik.. I legit came up with that on the spot! I had another secret for Kol in mind but I found it stupid and then my fingers just typed that she killed him so I decided to roll with it. What a plot twist, amiright? And now Caroline and Bonnie finally know about their boyfriends' abusive childhood.. That's actually quite sad :( This chapter was just all sorts of depressing and I am so sorry! Next chapter will be much happier, I promise. **

**Please review, and tell me what you thought! xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Sorry that I didn't update last weekend. I had written this chapter, but I didn't really like it so I wanted to go over it and fix a few things, but I don't have time to get to my computer during the week so I didn't get back to this until today. I didn't have school today, but I slept until like eleven thirty and I had practice 3-5. I still have 3 more days for the weekend so I'm happy! Although, I have to work at a festival tomorrow morning, and then go to my friend's birthday party. **

**So who's liking TVD season 6? I'm liking it! Nina's such an amazing actress, Elena's heartbreaking scenes about Damon make me so depressed :( I don't want to give too much away though.. And I loved Enzo last night! And also I'm totes shipping Tyler and Liv! And Damon and Bonnie need to find their way back! Although, how are all the supernatural going to get back into Mystic Falls? And that's enough with spoilers incase any of you haven't seen it yet. If anyone wants to talk about it, just send over a PM :)**

**OH and before I forget; for those of you who watch The Originals.. What do you guys think of Daniel Sharman replacing Nate as Kol? When my sister told me Kol was recast I was _pissed _but then I found out it was _Isaac Lahey _and then I got so conflicted! I love Daniel, he's such a great actor (and I miss him as Isaac like come back please) but Nate is the original Kol and I can't picture anyone else playing him. At least he (Nate) is still in flashbacks though... But I also realize that Daniel isn't _Kol, _he's Kaleb, a witch being _possessed by Kol. _So like, hopefully Kol gets his body back (_somehow_, even though it's burnt to a crisp in Mystic Falls but Julie fucks over her mythology all the time anyway so who cares) and we get Nathaniel as Kol AND Daniel as Kaleb :) but something that makes me very upset is that Kol is working with Esther and Finn! I mean, when would he EVER go against his brothers (Klaus and Elijah) and work with his mother? I hope that he might be double crossing them.. I don't know. I just pray that JP won't ruin Kol's character :/**

**Anyway... To make up for such a depressing chapter last time, here is a much happier chapter. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**

* * *

It was Monday morning, and everyone was recovering from their weekend- so much happened in a span of a few hours, especially for a certain five siblings that felt even worse about themselves and their family than they did before. They want to forget everything that had happened yesterday, but they can't just unknow what they know now. How long after you hear those kind of disturbing things before you can move on with your life? It's different for everyone. But for this family, a pack of survivors, all they have to do is put on a brave face and they can pretend everything's okay. It's what they've done their whole life.

Caroline's eyes fluttered open as the beams of the sun shone through the window. She could hear the birds chippering outside. Glancing over at the alarm clock that had not gone off this morning she thought, _Another day, another morning. Great._

It was only six o'clock and she had another two hours before her classes started. As she turned over to rest on her side she saw her boyfriend sleeping peacefully. His dark blond hair was messed up from the tossing and turning he did last night. She didn't blame him for all the tossing and turning; he had been told some horrible stuff, and he had to relive his scarring childhood when he told her everything last night.

She still couldn't comprehend how anyone could be so cruel to their children. It was difficult to even think about.

Caroline smiled as she watched Klaus' chest rise up and down in a steady beat. It was comforting to hear him breathing, anyone really. She liked the sounds of simple things.

Suddenly, she got the perfect idea. Her idea had nothing to do with her thoughts, but it just _fit _together. She would do something to make her boyfriend happy. It would also make her happy. It was just the perfect idea, especially for a couple who had been together as long as them. She couldn't contain her excitement and jumped out of bed.

Her movements woke up the man sleeping beside her.

"Caroline? Where are you going, love?" He asked groggily.

She turned her head and leaned over the bed to whisper to him, "Shhh.. Go back to bed, it's all a dream."

He chuckled and sat up, "I'm not five years old, Caroline."

She sat beside him and lightly laughed, "I know. I just want you to go back to sleep."

"Why? You got somewhere to be?"

"No, I just didn't want to disturb your sleep because I couldn't contain my excitement."

"Why are you excited?" He raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head and giggled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, "You'll just have to wait and see!" She then got up off the bed and left the room, leaving him staring in shock and curiosity.

He then shrugged and fell back against the pillows, "Ah.. My ray of sunshine," he smiled to himself.

...

Stefan waited impatiently for his test results. He knew he had only taken the test two days ago, but there was only thirteen of them with five professors grading, they promised they'd get their results on Monday. If he passed, he'd get to graduate next month and he couldn't wait. He studied his ass off, and he really hoped it paid off.

He stared at the floor as his professor walked up and down the aisle. His heart sped up as she came closer to him. He kept reminding himself that he did fine, as he understood almost all of the test; it was a piece of cake.

"Stefan Salvatore," his professor knocked on his desk.

Stefan looked up and said,  
"Yes, professor?"

His superior gave a smile as she handed him his test, "Good job, Mr. Salvatore."

Stefan looked down at his test and grinned so wide he felt like his face was going to fall off.

_96._

He passed. He was going to graduate in approximately three weeks.

When the bell rang, he walked out of his class to be greeted by two of his favorite blondes.

"Sooo..?" Lexi and Caroline both asked in union. They knew he was getting his test result back today, and they wanted to be the first ones to congratulate (or comfort) him.

He held up his score and they both cheered when they read the number.

"I knew you could do it!" Caroline exclaimed as she hugged her friend.

"If you passed up a fun party, it had to have paid off," Lexi grinned. She hugged him and said, "I'm proud of you. Dork."

"Well this dork gets to graduate a year before you losers," Stefan teased.

"Oh, shut up." Lexi slapped Stefan's shoulder.

The trio started walking to the courtyard, where they always head during their break between classes.

"How was everyone's weekend?" Lexi asked as she fell back against the flush green grass hill.

"Mine was okay," Stefan said. "I had my test Saturday morning, but then I got to watch Christian later that night. He kept me up for hours and wouldn't listen to me! But I guess it was good when he passed out before his parents came home. Then on Sunday I just stayed home and was lazy; watching old movies."

"See? This is why I call you a dork: you watch old movies in your free time," Lexi laughed.

Stefan ignored Lexi and looked over at Caroline, "How about you? What'd you do?"

Caroline looked up and shook her head, "Oh.. Nothing. My weekend was pretty boring."

"Same," Lexi agreed. "But at least you have a boyfriend so it couldn't have been _that _boring, if you know what I mean." Lexi winked.

"Oh my god, shut up! Of course you'd ask that," Caroline shook her head, laughing. "I actually visited my mom on Saturday for a few hours."

"Oh, that's good," Stefan said. "How is Miss. Liz Forbes, my favorite Sheriff?"

Caroline laughed, "She's good."

"My brother's not giving her any trouble down at the station, is he?"

"You know Damon, of course he is."

"Damon gives everyone a hard time," Lexi said bitterly.

"You still hate him?" Stefan asked.

"I don't hate him. We're just not friends. It's simple."

Once upon a time, a few years ago when the duo had first met, Damon pulled a prank on Lexi that neither likes to talk about to this day. Let's just say he embarrassed her, wounded her ego, and severely hurt her feelings. They have their moments where they joke around like old friends, but she still holds a grudge against him. Damon thinks she's over it, and believes she's just normally rude and dispirited.

Stefan laughed, "You're not the only one he's ever pissed off."

"Which is _why_ you're my favorite Salvatore," Caroline sang as she tackled her friend in a hug. Stefan started laughing, grateful for his friends who support him and can make him laugh. Truth be told, even if he was excited to finally graduate medical school, he was going to miss his friends.

...

"Mommy!" Christian squealed as he skipped into the living room, his father right behind him. "What are you doing home?!" He asked as Elena picked him up and kissed his temple.

"I'm on my lunch break, silly," Elena told her son. She looked at her husband and raised an eyebrow, "And what are you doing home, mister?"

"My shift isn't until four, so I decided to spend the day with my son," Damon answered.

"I'm so happy I didn't have to go to daycare today!" Chris exclaimed.

Elena ruffled the three-year-old's dark hair. "Well, you have to go back tomorrow, buddy." The toddler pouted in defeat.

Damon chuckled and kissed his son's hair before lifting himself up to sit on the counter. "I'm eager to get to work. You want to know why?"

"Why?" Elena asked.

"I get to see Enzo and ask how my wonderful plan worked out on Saturday."

Elena rolled her eyes, "I still can't believe that actually worked. Enzo and Rose really hit it off."

"See? I'm a genius. What can I say?"

Before Elena could respond to her husband's vain comment, the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Elena asked. Damon shrugged, and the family of three walked to the door.

Damon turned the knob and there stood the mail delivery guy with a small box.  
"For Elena Gilbert," the guy read off the tab.

"Elena Salvatore," she corrected.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It says Gilbert on the package."

"It couldn't be because I changed everything to.. Except.. Is it?!" Elena's excitedly asked.

"Why don't you sign and find out?" Elena signed the sheet, thanked the mailman and took her package.

"What did you get?" Damon asked curiously as he closed the front door behind his wife.

"Yeah, what did you get!" Christian repeated.

Elena took out a pair of scissors to open the package. When she tore it open and took out the object, she grinned from ear to ear.

"Look!" She squealed. In her hands was the first copy of her book. It was published. They had sent her the very first printed copy of the book, illustrated and everything. They wanted to make sure she was happy with the final product before they continued making the rest of the books.

Damon grinned and pulled her into a hug. "Congratulations. I'm so proud of you." Elena smiled as he kissed her hair. He smile turned bittersweet as he mentioned, "Your parents would be proud of you, too."

...

Jeremy stood awkwardly outside the convenience store he was at just days before. The one where he met Anna. He didn't want to seem stalkerish so he waited a few days before returning. Would he seem weird if he asked her for her number? He didn't want to seem too pushy.

Oh god, the last time he acted like this was in high school. And why was he so nervous? He just needed to walk back in there and talk to her.

He took a deep breath and walked into the store. There was only two customers in there and they were shopping, making the counters vacant. And to his relief, Anna was there. She was leaning against the counter, reading something on her phone.

He walked up to her and greeted, "Hey.."

She looked up and almost dropped her phone. "Oh! Hey! Jeremy, right?"

He nodded and smiled.

"You're back! Well, duh. It's a store. People need things.. I'm sorry, I'm being weird again. I'm really not this weird. I'm much more calm and collected."

He chuckled, "Don't worry. It's cute."

She blushed. "I was wondering if I'd get to see you again."

"I didn't want to seem stalkerish."

"Oh, don't worry, you don't seem that way."

"That's good. So, how are you?"

"I'm pretty good. You? How's your daughter?"

"We're both good," he smiled. "I actually have to be somewhere soon..." He said when he noticed the time on the clock above her head.

Her smile faded, "Oh.. Well," she took back out her phone and turned it on. She handed it to him, "Maybe you could put your number in there? We could get coffee sometime?"

He was actually relieved she made the first move because he felt so awkward. Maybe if they were actually hanging out, it would seem more comfortable. He felt drawn to her. He wanted to be her friend, maybe more.

Okay, _fine_. He had a crush on her.

He finished entering his number in her phone before saying, "That'd be great. Call me."

...

Within the next couple of days, Rebekah had been off the radar. She had stayed in Matt's house, distracting herself from life with all the wedding planning. She was ignoring everyone's phone calls, even her brothers'. She thought she could handle it, all the stuff with her mother, until she remember a very important detail of the wedding.

Who would give her away?

She had yelled at Matt, _"Why does someone have to give the bride away?! Why can't the bride give herself away? This is stupid. I hate traditions!"_

She definitely does not want her mother to give her away. She never wants to see Esther ever again. She guessed she could have one of her brothers give her away, but that's the trick about having a million brothers is that she doesn't know which one. She doesn't want to choose one and have the other three's feelings be hurt.

She sat curled up on Matt's bed, with hot chocolate and marshmallows, eating gummy worms, and watching her favorite American movie: Mean Girls. Her hair was put up in a messy bun, and she was wearing sweat pants and Matt's old, ratty t-shirt.

"I feel like crying, I should have watched a dumb, cheesy chick-flick," she said to no one in particular, as she was home alone.

Her phone vibrated and she picked it up. It read a text from Klaus,  
_Hey Bex. How r u? We haven't talked in a few days.._

Well _he_ has, but she hasn't texted back. She threw her phone back on the bed and went back to her movie and eating her gummy worms. Her phone vibrated again and this time it was a missed call from Elijah. She sighed and turned her phone off.

"Hey," Matt greeted as he came home from work. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. He sat down beside her on the bed. He didn't want to just spring this conversation on her right when he got home, but he did it anyway. "Listen.. You can't stay at home forever. Elijah came to me today asking how you were doing. He's worried about you. Finn and Kol both called me to see how you were doing. Klaus came by yesterday, too. Everyday this week, actually. I think he doesn't even come to The Grill to have a drink anymore. You need to give your brothers a call."

She sighed. "I want to just curl up and watch movies."

"Why are you ignoring your brothers? What your mom did is not their fault, don't take it out on them."

"I'm not! I'm ignoring them for a totally different reason."

"And what's that?" He asked.

She stared at the wall, refusing to answer his question. She feels embarrassed that this is the 'big reason' she's ignoring her brothers. "I don't know who I want to walk me down the aisle," she admitted.

Matt nodded in understanding. He gets that since her dad is dead (and even if he was alive, he'd be dead to her anyway) and her mom is a no-show, there'd be no one to walk her down the aisle or 'give her away'. But she has four brothers, and he gets that she doesn't want to hurt any of their feelings. The only advice he could come up with was,  
"Then just don't mention it."

"You don't understand.. I.." She choked back her sobs, "I wanted my mother to do it. But I can't stand to even think about her. I can't stand to think of either of my parents."

Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "I'm sorry for everything they put you through. But you have four brothers who just want to know if you're okay."

"Then tell them they can come over anytime they want, I just don't want to leave the house."

"You have to go back to work sometime."

"Next week," she shrugged.

He laughed and kissed her hair. He decided to change the subject to a happier tone, "So.. Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"

She grinned, "I thought we settled on a road trip across Europe?"

"I was just making sure we were leaving this town. I've never stepped foot out of Mystic Falls."

"Don't you worry, I'll take you far away," she teased. She was getting enthusiastic about the road trip. She knew they'd be going to Rome, Paris, Barcelona, London, and so much more.

"I can't wait." She smiled up at him before leaning in to kiss him.

...

"Okay Emma!" Kol called as he clapped his hands and entered the young girl's bedroom. "Your mum has a few errands to run, so I guess it's just you and me!"

Emma popped her head from out of her closet, "Okay, Kol-ey! Just give me a minute!"

Kol raised his eyebrow and stepped further into her room, watching her walk back into the closet. "Em? What are you doing?"

"I'm rearranging my stuff, duh."

He rolled his eyes, forgetting how sassy she could get. Even for a five-year old. She definitely takes after her parents, and even being around all the sarcastic family friends such as himself.

"Well, that closet will still be there when we get back."

She turned around to look at him, "Why? Where are we going?"

"I was thinking we could go get some ice cream?" he suggested.

Emma grinned and jumped in excitement. Ten minutes later, the two were seated on a bench outside an ice-cream parlor. Kol got a simple chocolate cone, but Emma got cookies and cream with rainbow sprinkles.

Emma opened her mouth to ask Kol something, but then closed her mouth. She was just a kid, she didn't understand most things, but that doesn't mean she wasn't curious.

"Kol?" She spoke up.

"Hmm..?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Why don't you ever talk about your parents?"

Kol was taken back by her question. He figured she could have overheard something between him and Bonnie, but he was still surprised that she would ask him that. "Why do you ask that?"

"I don't know.. I was at daycare, and everyone was talking about their parents. I mentioned how I had a second dad. And then we talked about grandparents, and my dad's are dead, my mom's don't like each other very much, and you never talk about yours'. I was just wondering why."

Kol sighed, "There's not much to talk about."

"Were they not good parents?"

He shook his head, "No."

"What did they do?"

"It doesn't matter.. You're too young to know." He didn't want to scar her for life. How does someone as young as her even understand that there are parents out in this world who hit their kids, abandon them, _kill _them?

"They weren't nice to you?"

"Nope." He didn't know how else to put it.

"That's so sad. You're great, Kol-ey!"

"Thanks," he smiled. "But.. Not a lot of people think I'm that great." When he saw Emma's confused look, he explained, "I'm not the same person I am when I'm around you and your mum."

"Who are you like?"

He shrugged, "I'm just not the same. I-" he didn't know how to explain it to her. "I pretend to be someone else. I can't show anyone that I'm vulnerable."

"What does that mean? Vu-nar-belle."

He chuckled at her mispronouncement of the word. "It means weak."

"You're not weak, you're very strong!"

"I mean emotionally.. I'm just used to being a certain way, I can't unmold myself."

"But what about me and mommy?"

"You guys are an exception. You guys and my siblings."

"Why do you like us, then? Me and mommy? What made you think we were ex-cep-tions?"

Kol honestly didn't have an answer to that question. It was true that he wasn't the biggest fan of kids, nor was he the kind of guy to believe in love or family. He played and broke a lot of hearts; he didn't want to get hurt so he hurt others instead. It was all he knew how to do. But there was something about Bonnie and Emma, and even Jeremy. They became his second family, and if there was one thing he knew about family was that he wouldn't let anyone hurt anybody in his family. Once he deemed that he was somewhat of a father figure to Emma, he vowed he'd never be like Mikael. His father was everything he never wanted to be. He tries so hard, but he still doesn't believe it's enough. This is partly why he doesn't want to have any kids of his own. At least with Emma, he's not her 'real' dad so if he makes any mistakes, it won't make any difference. She'd still love him the next day. He loves Emma, but he doesn't like the pressure of being a parent figure. So he just has himself be her friend, and it's worked so far. The best way to sum it up for her to understand was,  
"I guess it was just fate."

...

Finally, it was Friday, and Caroline was ready to get her and Klaus' surprise. She had gone to the shelter on Monday to ask around. She discovered she had enough money to buy the surprise, the doctor shots, food, and toys. She already took him to the vet and everything was set, so all she had to do is take him home.

Yes, you heard correct: Caroline had bought Klaus a puppy!

It was a yellow lab retriever with big, bright blue eyes. The puppy was only eight weeks old, and it was already agile and fierce. Labs are known to be outgoing, tempered, loyal and intelligent, a perfect blend of Caroline and Klaus. And the best part is that he wasn't supposed to get bigger than 40 cm because it has a genetic condition, but other than that the dog is completely healthy! She didn't know what to name him but she's just been calling him "my little surprise."

As Caroline pulled her car into the driveway, the puppy started barking up a happy storm. She reached over to scratch the puppy's head, "Yes, sweetie. This is your new home. I can't wait for you to meet your daddy!"

She adjusted the bow around his neck before she picked him up and cradled him in her arms. She opened her door, got out, closed the door and locked the car. She started heading up the steps to her boyfriend and hers' house. She unlocked the door and walked into their house, longing for her boyfriend's reaction. She knew he'd be happy, well maybe shocked and possibly angry at first, but then he'd be totally happy. If there was one thing that Klaus loved but didn't want anyone to know, it was dogs. He prefers wolves, but she believes a small puppy will be just fine.

"Klaus? I have a surprise for you!" Caroline called. She did her best to keep the puppy quiet so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled.

"In the kitchen," he called back.

She grinned and walked into the kitchen holding the puppy. The baby animal squirmed in her arms, anxious to get down and explore the new home. Klaus' jaw dropped when he saw what she was holding.

"Caroline? You have a dog in your arms."

She giggled, "I know." The dog start wagging it's tail at seeing a new human.

"Why?"

"This is your surprise! The one I've been telling you about all week," she explained.

He raised his eyebrow. "But.. How can we afford a dog?"

"I'm a founding family.. I had enough money." When his expression didn't change, her smile faded and she frowned, "Are you not happy? I thought a dog would bring joy to our lives! I mean, look at that face," she held the dog's face to hers and it started licking her cheek. It tickled, making her giggle.

Klaus walked over to her and said, "It's not that I'm not happy.. I just wasn't expecting _this _as the surprise."

"I gave you so many hints over the week," she pointed out.

"True," he agreed.

She handed him the puppy and when Klaus got attacked with all these puppy kisses, a huge smile broke out over his face. "That tickles!" he laughed. Caroline smiled that her surprise worked out. "You know, I always wanted a puppy when I was a boy. So, thank you."

Caroline kissed him, "No problem." Klaus let the puppy on the floor to explore their house. Caroline leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, "What shall we name him?"

"He's not named yet?"

"Nope. I was waiting for you."

Klaus thought for a minute before coming up with, "Do you think we could name him Henry? It's similar to Henrik.. And I know it seems strange to name a dog after my brother, and not wait for us to have kids or one of my siblings to have a son, but.. It's been on my mind since I saw the dog."

Caroline smiled and nodded, "That's lovely. I think it's a great idea."

The couple bent down to call their dog over to them. Henry ran to them with his tail wagging like a flag and his tongue hanging out. He reached Klaus and jumped into his lap. Caroline ruffled his fur and cooed. "Welcome to the family, Henry."

* * *

**Aww, Caroline got Klaus a puppy! So, Klaroline are parents to a _puppy, _but they will have a baby at sometime, don't you worry all my Klaroliners! Just a bit later in the story :) **

**So what did you guys think of the chapter? Please review your thoughts, comments, suggestions, questions, whatever! I'd just love to hear from you guys :) Oh and a question you guys might want to answer: which brother should give away Rebekah? Lol I don't even know, how should that situation go down? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**

**I only have a four-day week of school next week, but again, I don't know if I'll even have time to write. I might be able to write some on Sunday and Monday, but we'll see. I also have the PSAT on Wednesday, so wish me luck with that! But, I only have two more weeks left of volleyball, so that'll give me a lot more time on my hands! **

**Have a great weekend y'all, and I'll see you next time! xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hiii :) How is everyone? I hope you're all doing great! And if you're wondering; I'm doing okay. I'm really excited that I only have a week and half left of volleyball, although I'll be sad too. But I'm even more excited that next weekend, my best friend is coming up from Florida for a visit! (Shoutout to Sasha, who I send these stories to haha, love ya girl.)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from TVD, but I own this storyline**

* * *

Rebekah was laying on Matt's bed, listening to her iPod with her eyes closed. She didn't hear the bedroom door being knocked upon nor the door being opened. It was when she felt the weight of the bed get heavier, she opened her eyes and saw Matt sitting next to her. She stopped her music ("Marry Me" by Jason Derulo) and took out her headphones.

"Hey," she smiled as she sat up.

"I'm going to be spending the night at Tyler's," he told her after they exchanged a greeting.

"Why?" she raised her eyebrow.

He shrugged and nodded at the door and said, "There's someone who wants to see you. Or a few someones."

That was the cue for Klaus, Elijah, Kol and Finn to walk into the room.

Rebekah looked confused and asked Matt, "What are they doing here?"

"Yesterday, you told me that if they wanted to see you they had to come over."

"So here we are!" Kol said as he flopped down beside his sister. Rebekah tried to push him off the bed but he wouldn't budge.

"But why are you guys here?" Rebekah now addressed the question to her brothers.

"We can't be good brothers and surprise our baby sister? Whose been ignoring us, may I add. Very rude," Klaus answered as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

She turned back to her fiancé, "You're just giving up your house?"

"It's your house, too," he said quietly. Matt hoped no one heard the comment because he felt embarrassed after he said it, but they all heard it, and it made Rebekah smile. "Well, I'm going to go now," he said. "I hope you guys can work things out," he told the five siblings. He turned to Rebekah, and he wanted to kiss her, but he felt self-conscious doing so in front of her brothers. Rebekah noticed that he was shy, so she sat up on her knees so she'd be level his height, and she just grabbed his face with her hands and brought his lips to hers.

"Oh, please. Some of us just had lunch!" Kol exclaimed.

Matt blushed and pulled away. "Bye."

"Bye Matty!" Kol waved dramatically.

"Thank you, Matt," Elijah said as Matt passed him to get to the door. "I appreciate you telling us that Rebekah was upset about something, and setting this up. And giving up your house. It's nice of you."

Matt nodded, murmuring a quick "no problem" before leaving the five siblings alone.

The four brothers turned to look at their sister, who just stared at the ground.

"Okay," Finn started. "What's wrong?" he asked his sister. Elijah and Finn were now sitting on the bed, too.

Rebekah shrugged, "Nothing's wrong. I just haven't felt like talking to anyone. Is that bad?"

"It's not bad," Elijah said. "But please don't shut us out for something we didn't do."

"You should know that mother- or well Esther-" Kol started to explain but Rebekah cut him off,  
"She killed Henrik. I know. I overheard it before I left. And that's not why I'm ignoring any of you."

"So you admit it; you are ignoring us," Klaus acknowledged.

"It's for a pretty stupid reason," she sighed.

"Well, we won't be able to judge you unless you tell us," Finn said.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I wanted.. I wanted mo- _Esther _to walk me down the aisle, or give me away or whatever. But that's obviously not happening anymore. So it comes down to the four of you.." she noticed her brothers all exchange knowing looks. "And I don't know who I want to give me away. I don't want to choose one and have the other three's feelings get hurt.. So I thought that if I ignored you for a while, I'd figure out who I want.. But I haven't. And _that__'s _why I haven't answered you guys_."_

It was silent for a moment before the eldest brother decided to speak up. "It's not going to hurt my feelings if you choose Elijah, Klaus or Kol. It really wouldn't. I know I'm not the best big brother, to any of you."

"What are you talking about?" Kol asked.

"You're a great brother," Rebekah added.

"No, I'm not. I wasn't involved much when we were growing up. I mean, I didn't do much. I was the oldest, I should have protected you guys from Mikael more than I did. I let Elijah take care of you guys because I didn't know how to. I should have known it was my job, but I went to university instead. And I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. You did what you could," Elijah spoke up. "There wasn't much _any _of us could do. And I didn't mean to take the 'big brother' role away from you-"

"I'm glad you did, though. Because if you didn't, who would have taken care of these three?"

"Don't talk about us like we're not here," Klaus said. "But Elijah is right: there wasn't much any of us could do. We all did what we could."

"We still love you. Don't beat yourself up over things that happened over ten years ago," Rebekah added.

"And don't act like you did nothing," Kol said. "You got us out of the house and took us to festivals or to the lake when you could. You drove us places when _he_ wouldn't."

"Thanks, but I still feel terrible. I'm kind of the outcast in this family-"

"Don't say that," Elijah said. "We all have a role in this family, and we all did what we could for each other. We couldn't survive without one another. We couldn't have survived without you."

"We're still here, aren't we? And we're still together," Kol contributed.

"And that's all that matters," Rebekah finished. Klaus nodded in agreement with his siblings.

Finn smiled in gratitude, "Thank you. I'm glad we all have a close relationship." The younger four all smiled. He looked back at his sister, "But Bekah, don't worry about the wedding. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't choose me."

"Same," Kol agreed. "I mean, I'll be a little sad," he joked. "But seriously, I find that a little too much pressure. Scratch that, I volunteer you _don't_ choose me."

Rebekah laughed, "Okay so I'm down to three, not four?"

"Yes," Kol nodded.

"How do you know she wasn't going to choose you?" Elijah chuckled.

"Brother, you have forfeited the race," Klaus smirked.

"But-" Kol started to say but Elijah interrupted him.  
"Seriously, Rebekah. Don't worry about it. We'll all be okay with who you choose. Right, Niklaus?"

Klaus nodded, "Correct. There's a 25% chance. We understand our chances are slim to nothing."

"Shut up," Rebekah laughed. She turned serious, "You guys really won't mind?" They all shook their heads. "Okay. That makes things a little easier, I guess."

"So, who do you choose?" Klaus teased as he bumped his sister's shoulder.

"I'm not answering now!" Rebekah exclaimed.

"When's the wedding, anyway?" Elijah asked.

"December 24th."

"Why did you choose Christmas Eve?" Finn asked.

Rebekah shrugged, "Everyone gets married on Valentine's Day."

"I didn't."

"Neither did I," Elijah added.

"Well." Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Enough of this conversation, please. I kind of want to talk about.. _Her._ Only for a moment, though."

They all knew who _her _was.

"What about her?" Elijah asked.

"Where did she go?"

"I kicked her out. I told her to get out of all of our lives."

"And she just left?"

"Yes."

Rebekah waited a moment before asking another question. "Did you guys tell your wife, or girlfriend?"

"I told Katherine."

"And I told Sage."

"I told Bonnie.. She hadn't known anything so I had to start from the beginning, but it feels like our relationship just got so much more intimate. Like it opened up our relationship, brought us closer."

"That's great," Elijah smiled at his youngest brother.

They all turned to Klaus, who they knew would be the more stubborn one to tell a partner about their parents.

"If you're all wondering if I told Caroline.. The answer is yes. I told her everything."

"And?" Rebekah motioned for him to elaborate.

"And.. She bought me a puppy."

Rebekah and Kol couldn't contain their laughter and broke out laughing. Finn tried to hold back his laughter, only being mildly successful.

"Wait," Elijah didn't want to laugh but he had to chuckle lightly. "She bought you a real life puppy? An animal? A pet that you have to walk, and feed, and play with?"

Klaus nodded. "He's a golden retriever and he's 8 weeks old."

"That's so adorable!" Rebekah squealed. "What's his name?"

"Henry." And with that, they all stopped laughing. "I know I should have waited for one of us to have a son or something, but I just really wanted to name the dog after Henrik.. It just made sense, you know?"

"It's fine," Elijah shook his head.

"Do you have any pictures of him?" Rebekah asked. Klaus rolled his eyes and nodded, taking out his phone.

"Caroline made us take a selfie-" Kol's laughter increased at the word _selfie._ "Shut up, Kol." Klaus turned on his phone and went into pictures and showed his siblings the million pictures Caroline made him take. There are pictures of Henry sleeping, eating, videos of him jumping, and there's a few of Caroline playing with him, and kissing his fur. And then there's the selfie that he was talking about.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Rebekah cooed.

"And he's blonde, just like you and Caroline!" Kol added.

"Let me guess, Henry's supposed to be yours and Caroline's child?" Finn asked.

"Yes," Klaus replied. He glared at Kol who laughed again, "Don't judge my family."

"I remember you begged Mikael for a dog," Elijah pointed out. "We all wanted a dog.. I always wanted a dog," he said.

"Then tell the nuisance that is Katherine," Klaus suggested.

Elijah scoffed, "Like she'd ever let me get something that sheds hair everywhere."

"She kept you," Kol joked.

"Don't make me have Rebekah push you off the bed," Elijah threatened. Rebekah lifted her hand to prove to Kol that she'd push him if Elijah gave her the signal.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Kol apologized. They all started laughing, realizing how much they had missed the small moments like this since they have grown up. None of them could remember the last time they spent a night like this; having heart-felt conversations, and joking and laughing. It was comforting knowing that they have family to turn to when they have a problem.

Always and forever.

...

At the Lockwood mansion, Tyler and Matt were reminiscing about the old days and catching up on their new lives.

"Remember when we used to go to the swimming hole?" Tyler asked. "We used to sneak away and get wasted while our parents did stupid founding family stuff."

Tyler, Matt, Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie would always escape from their families when they were at the swimming hole and go to their spot in the woods. It'd just be an escape for all of them: they could just hang out and do nothing, just relax and drink shots. Sure, they got in a lot of trouble from their parents when they came home tripping over their own feet, but it was worth it. Granted, they now have a few less parents, and they're too old to get in trouble, but deep down they all wish they'd be able to relive sophomore year again. Just before all their lives got complicated.

Matt laughed, "Oh god, that was not such a good idea: I was puking for days."

"Yeah, we weren't so smart back then," Tyler agreed. "But I miss high school," he admitted. "Then we had to grow up and it _sucks._"

"I know what you mean. I mean, I'm happy that I'm no longer a busboy and that I was promoted to manager, but I didn't think I'd be working at The Grill for the rest of my life. I wanted to do something more with my life, you know?"

"Then why didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you go to college? Study something. Apply for another job. You're not stuck, you were never stuck."

"I didn't know what to do; Hell, I _still _don't know what I want to do. But it's not like my life is so bad. I make a good enough amount of money, and I get to come home to a beautiful fiancé. I'm happy."

"I hope you know that I'm happy for you. Honestly, I'm surprised that you and Rebekah are still together after all this time, but I guess you guys work. You must really love her, and she must really love you."

"I really do love her. It's crazy how I much I do."

"I miss that."

"What?"

"Loving somebody that much."

"Well, that's your own fault. You screwed up."

"I know I did."

"But she's happy, you know. With Klaus. I know you don't like him, but they make each other happy. He's been through a lot in his life, and he deserves what he has with her."

"Hey, as long as she's happy, I'm happy. I'm just glad you're _all _happy. You, Care, Elena, Bonnie.. Is Jeremy happy?"

"I think so, yes. He has a date tomorrow with this girl he really likes; Anna."

"That's great." Tyler thought for a moment. "I think I want to start dating again."

"Dude," Matt laughed. "You need to get a job first. You've been here, what: a month? And you're still unemployed."

"I'm a founding family, and my mom's the mayor, I think I can go a few more weeks without a job."

Matt laughed again, "Sure. Do whatever you want."

Tyler smiled at his best friend, "Thanks. I will."

...

Jeremy finally got the nerve to call Anna. They had flirted and talked like high school sweethearts for hours. She had invited him to go out for coffee in the morning, and that's exactly where he is right now.

When she walked through the café door, he felt his heart leap out of his chest. It was only morning coffee, and granted she was only wearing dark jeans, a blue tank top, a leather jacket, combat boots, and her hair was simply curly, but he still thought she looked beautiful.

Not to mention that her smile made his pulse beat faster. When she laughed, her eyes did this cute squint thing, and god did he love her laugh. He couldn't contain his feelings. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but was worried about rushing things. He knew he wasn't in love with her, but he couldn't help but love everything about her.

He hadn't felt this way since Bonnie. And if he's being honest, when the two broke things off, he was scared he'd never find someone like her again. Never find someone to love him again. Never feel this way about anyone. He believed that this kind of love was a once in a life time kind of thing, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

Anna makes him incredibly happy in a way that's been absence in his life since Bonnie and him broke up. He's not in love, not yet anyway, but she makes him happy and he deserves someone to make him happy.

"So enough about me," Jeremy said. "What about you?" They've been talking about random things, trying to get to know each other. He's finished his life's story, and yes that includes his parents' deaths, and his drug phase, and his nineteen-year-old-self that was less cautious about contraceptives.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Things about your family. School. Anything you want me to know."

"Well.." she thought for a moment. "I don't have a dad- my mom never told him about me so he had left before I was born. My mom raised me in Athens, Georgia but we moved to Mystic Falls about.. Ten years ago, I believe. Let's see.. I don't have any exciting high school stories, or tragic stories either. My high school career was pretty boring. College, too."

"You went to Mystic Falls High?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"What class are you?"

"2011."

"I'm class of 2010. I don't think I saw you around?"

"I wasn't part of any activities or anything.."

"Why?"

Anna hesitated. She didn't see the harm in telling him. "I was busy tracking down my dad."

"It took four years of high school?"

"It didn't really work out. Nothing came out of it. Also, I had a lot of college prep."

"Then why are you working at a convenience store?" He mentally slapped himself. "Wow, I just realized how stupid that sounded."

She laughed, "It's okay. It's just a part-time job while I finish up college. I'm in my last year."

"Oh, what's your major?"

"I want to be a teacher."

"That's cool. What grade?"

"Elementary school. Kindergarten. It doesn't make much money, but I like kids when they're young and dependent-"

"And easy to threaten to call their parents," Jeremy laughed.

"Exactly," she laughed along with him. "But if I wasn't studying in child development, I'd be studying history or mythology. History was my favorite subject in school, my best subject too, and I just love mythology stories: vampires, ghosts, angels, all of those. I don't know, I'm weird like that."

"Nah, I think it's pretty cool."

"Really?"

"Totally. And my Uncle's a history teacher at the high school, you could talk to him."

"Really? Who's your Uncle?"

"Alaric Saltzman."

"Are you serious? I love Mr. Saltzman. I had him his first year he taught! He's awesome. _He's _your Uncle? He seems pretty young.."

Jeremy chuckled, "Yeah, he married my Aunt Jenna. They're only a couple of years older than me and my sister."

"How old are you?"

"I just turned twenty-four. Elena is twenty-five. Jenna and Alaric are thirty-one."

"You have a lot of friends, don't you?"

"I guess.."

"I've seen you hang out with people who I never would have thought even knew each other."

"Like who?"

"Rebekah Mikaelson, Stefan Salvatore, that guy Enzo, a bunch of people."

"Yeah it's basically a bunch of family ties, I guess. My sister is married to Stefan's brother, who is best friends with Enzo _and _Alaric. And my best friend Matt Donovan is marrying Rebekah, who has four brothers where one is married to my cousin, two of them are in relationships with my childhood friends- one of which is my ex-girlfriend... And there's even more connections, trust me you don't even need to know."

Anna threw her head back in laughter, "That's a lot, I'll take your word for it."

"I like talking to you," he admitted.

She smiled, "I like talking to you too."

"I also really like you. I can't stop thinking about you."

"I can't stop thinking about you either."

While they had been talking, they had already paid for their coffee and were now just walking down the streets of the town square. Jeremy stopped walking to look down at the girl walking beside him. She stopped too, wondering what he was going to do.

"I've been wanting to do this all morning." Before Anna could reply, Jeremy leaning forward and kissed her. She was taken by surprise, but easily melted into the kiss. Their lips moved together in perfect sync as she wrapped her arms around his neck, locking her hands at the nape of his neck, and he reached his hands up to tangle his hands in her hair. She tasted like vanilla and he tasted like peppermint, and they both had to agree it was the perfect blend. He didn't want the kiss to end, and who said it had to?

...

"Why are we at the grocery store?" Bonnie asked three weeks later.

"Because Stefan is graduating from med school tomorrow and we're throwing him this huge, blow out party!" Caroline exclaimed. Since her best friend was graduating, she decided to throw a party to celebrate him becoming a doctor. She also took it upon herself to boss everyone around; Klaus, Lexi, Matt, and Rebekah are getting decorations (she trusts Lexi to not let the other three get horrible stuff); Damon, Kol, and Jeremy are cleaning the Salvatore Boarding House (where they're having the party); Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie are at the grocery store getting the food; and everyone else are getting presents and whatever else needs to get done.

As they turned down the frozen food aisle, Bonnie asked, "What kind of food does he even like?"

"He likes mozzarella sticks," Elena pointed at the package behind the freezer door.

"Oh no, we are not getting frozen, premade food for Stefan! He deserves much better than that," Caroline complained.

"I hate to break it to you to Care," Elena said. "But Stefan is the only one of us that can cook, no one else in our crazy friend circle can cook. We'd probably burn down the boarding house."

Caroline thought about what her best friend said and then shrugged and nodded, caving in and grabbing the box of mozzarella sticks, "True."

"Is his favorite cake still chocolate?" Elena asked the blonde, who knows the guy in question better than her by now.

"Yes," Caroline nodded.

"Katherine?" a voice from behind the three girls asked.

Elena sighed. This happens a lot, so she didn't bother turning around to see who had mistaken her for her sister. "I'm sorry, I'm not Katherine. I'm her twin sister, Elena."

Caroline had quickly glanced behind her and gasped when she saw who it was.

Esther.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You just looked so much like her."

"Yeah, that's what a twin is," Elena turned around to face the woman. Her eyes widened and she nudged her two friends.

Esther noticed the blonde standing next to the woman who looks identical to her daughter-in-law and asked, "Do I know you? You look familiar."

Caroline nodded and laughed nervously. "Uhm.. Yeah. I'm Klaus' girlfriend, you caught us.. Making out.."

Esther nodded in remembrance, "I remember now. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"Oh, it's fine." Caroline shook her head. "It's in the past."

"And I'm Bonnie," the brunette introduced herself. "I'm Kol's girlfriend."

"I didn't know Kol had a girlfriend.." Esther stated.

"How would you? Kol doesn't like you," Bonnie snapped. After hearing everything Kol told her about his parents, she didn't think she should have to be polite to the older woman. She doesn't deserve that.

"Bonnie!" Caroline hissed.

"I'm just going to back away now.." Elena took her cue to leave. Caroline and Bonnie shot her a look that said not to go, but Elena shot her friends an apologetic look, _I'm sorry but this is awkward!_

Esther didn't acknowledge Elena's awkward exit and continued talking, "I am aware of my youngest son's hatred of me-"

"Didn't Elijah tell you to leave town? What are you doing here?" Caroline asked. In the back of her mind, she knew she shouldn't be encouraging a conversation with the woman, but that didn't stop her from talking.

"He told me to get out of the house. I stayed in town in hopes any of my children changed their minds."

"Well, I wouldn't hold your breath," Bonnie said. _On second thought, hold it._

"Do they know that you're still here?" Caroline asked.

"No."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie said. "But we really shouldn't be talking to you. We know everything, and it just seems insensitive to our boyfriends to be talking to you."

Esther nodded, "I completely understand. I'm sorry for any inconvenience." The Mikaelsons' mother turned her back and walked away.

Caroline let out of a breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned to her friend, "Oh my god. Why does awkward encounters keep happening?"

"Did you see her eyes?" Bonnie whispered to her friend. "She was judging us. Like seeing if we were 'good enough' for her sons."

"She doesn't get to decide that. Like Klaus or Kol would care what she thinks anyway."

"True. Anyway, let's go find Elena and finish this shopping trip," Bonnie suggested. The blonde nodded eagerly, grabbed the brunette's wrist and they ran the way Elena had went.

The two girls silently agreed not to mention the encounter with the mother bitch to either of their boyfriends, or their siblings. Things would just get ugly. Too bad that someone's going to find out she's still in town sooner or later.

* * *

**Oooh.. Caroline and Bonnie (and Elena) ran into Esther? How do you think Klaus and Kol will react? That is, if they find out. Should they find out? What will happen?**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! I really enjoyed writing the Mikaelson family scene, I felt like this part of their relationships aren't explored very much like this in the shows: being playful and loving. Obviously, in this fanfic, they're not vampires and no one has daggered anyone so there's not any vile sibling rivalries lol. I like to think that this is how the siblings acted when they were human :) Aaannd when I started writing this chapter, I got major Anna and Jeremy withdrawal so I had to go on their tumblr, watch their scenes on youtube, and even read a few fanfics to cure my Janna broken heart, so I hope you guys liked their date! And I haven't written Tyler in a while, and I missed him so yeah :) How would you guys feel about me bring Parkwood (Tyler and Liv) into the story? Cuz I ship them _soooo _much, you have no idea the feels they give me this season.**

**Next chapter is Stefan's graduation and then the party! Hmm.. Will drama happen at the party? It's Mystic Falls, you never know.**

**Please review! Until next time xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys... I am so terribly sorry for the lack in updates. It's just my computer was having problems, and my sister took it to get it fixed, and her friend took like a week on it, but it's all fixed so that's good, but then my sister took it to her house (as she moved out) so she could finish watching her shows, so I just got it back. Plus, my motivation for writing hasn't been so great. It's not even that great right now, as I also don't even know what I wanted to write for this chapter. I know what I want to write for Christmas and the Mabekah wedding, so I wish I could do a time jump, but I can't, at least not right now. So let's see where this goes.**

**On the bright side, I started watching The Originals! It's actually really good, well season 2 is way better than season 1, because of the family drama, so like thank the lord the whole family is actually featured. Also, I'm actually liking season 6 of TVD so far! Sure, as a Bonnie stan, a Delena shipper, and a Steroline-friendship-only fan, it's making me pretty angry... But I love the plotline of the Gemini Coven, which is a million times more interesting than the Travelers IMO. **

**Anywho, since all my TV shows have gone on hiatus (welp my 3 tv shows, plus since my computer is back I've been using Netflix to watch a few things), volleyball is officially over, my reading has lacked motivation also, and my inspiration for writing has somewhat returned, I hope this story will be updated more frequently. So I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, most of the characters belong to Julie Plec and all the wonderful people involved with these worlds. I just own the storylines.**

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"SURPRISE!" The voices of half of the town screamed in Stefan Salvatore's ears as he entered the house in which he grew up. He could smell the savory chocolate chip cookies, his favorite childhood snack, and the aroma of Bourbon, Chardonnay, and other of his favorite drinks, including a boyhood favorite; orange juice, which he guessed were for the little ones who were running around the foyer. His friends' and brother's faces were a heartwarming sight, that they cared so much to throw this party for him, but what actually caught his eye were the dark blue, violet, deep red, black, and white streamers hanging from the ceiling, and even the bright yellow lanterns that lit up the place, no pun intended. Of course, he knew that if Caroline and Lexi had any part in this party-planning, there had to have been silver sparkles _somewhere _in the house, and he was honestly scared to see what other decorations were in store for him. But he had to admit, with the streamers, the lights, the pastries, and the people, the place did look beautiful.

"_You._" He turned to the bubbly blonde standing at his side, who had driven him from his graduation ceremony (taking the long way, probably so everyone who had attended the ceremony could get back to the party in time) and led him inside the house. Caroline just shrugged as if saying _I'm awesome, and you know it. _To which he could only respond with a huge smile, and she knew it meant that he was grateful.

The first person to hug him was Lexi, who was all long, blonde hair and happy squeals, running into his arms like she hadn't seen him in centuries, although she had just seen him twenty minutes ago.

"I'm so proud of you!" She smiled at her best friend.

"Thanks, Lex. But hey, this will be you next year," he grinned.

She turned to Caroline, "True. But you won't be able to throw us a party as great as this one," she said it jokingly, but all three of them knew it was the truth.

"At least I can cook," Stefan pointed out.

"That reminds me, the food might not be the best quality," Caroline muttered. Damon, who was the next best cook after Stefan, had attempted to cook things. But he was so distracted with his son, that he almost set the kitchen on fire. At least they got _some _good quality food. The rest was store bought or frozen.

"It's the thought that counts," Stefan shot her a smile.

"Hey!" Damon interrupted the trio. "There's my baby brother." Caroline and Lexi moved out of the way so that Damon could hug his brother. Even if the two blondes didn't particularly like Damon, they did recognize how much he cared about his brother, and since they all love Stefan, it's something they can all bond over.

After the hug the tall, dark, and charming older brother handed the man in celebration a drink, and raised his glass up for a toast, which in return those of the party who were still in the beginning of the foyer raised them back. "To my brother; the next Doctor in Mystic Falls, helping those injured and in pain caused by his dear brother," everyone laughed at the comment. "No, but seriously. To Stefan!"

"To Stefan!" Everyone clinked their glasses in mutual respect for Stefan.

"Come on, Rippah!" Klaus' voice rang from across the room, where he stood with his sister and her fiancé. "Say a few words! You can do it!"

Stefan rolled his eyes but continued to say a few words anyway. His speech included "thanks for coming," "means a lot," "today feels like an accomplishment," and all those other cliché lines. Truthfully, Stefan didn't know what else to say. All the cliché lines that he spoke are what he feels, so why have them come out all boring and non-sentimental? Unfortunately, that was all Kol thought it was.

"This is boring," Kol whispered to Jeremy. The younger boy glanced at his deranged friend,  
"I agree, but we can't just leave. Stefan's a good guy, we should at least hear what he has to say."

"All I'm saying is; if you're making a speech, at least make it interesting and memorable. Your pretty little girlfriend seems to be falling asleep."

Jeremy glanced at Anna; who Caroline said, and he quotes, "is welcome to any and all parties we throw, she can officially be part of the crew." In curiosity, Jeremy had asked _crew? _She just responded, "There's like thirty of us, it's who I'm inviting to Friendsgiving. Like friends of my friends, etc until we come full circle." He didn't even want to hear anymore so he just smiled and nodded, saying that Anna will be there.

The brunette boy sighed, "She's not my girlfriend."

The youngest Mikaelson brother snorted, "Right, and I'm the Queen of England."

"I'm actually 80% you are," Jeremy smirked.

"Shut it, Gilbert." He elbowed the other boy. "So tell me, if you're not going steady, exactly what are you?" He raised his eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

"Steady? What are you? From the eighteenth century?"

"Might be," Kol said smugly. "Just answer the question. Do you guys do things?" He winked.

"What things?" Jeremy continued to avoid the question. He really didn't want to have this conversation with Kol, of all people. Before Kol could tease him further, he decided to tease the threatening boy instead. "Oh wait... You mean the kind of stuff you and Bonnie do?" This managed to put a slight blush on Kol's cheeks, which will never fail to make Jeremy laugh. Oh, how a man with such sarcastic comments, cruel intentions, and insane motives could be so easily whipped by two girls who are legitimately angels on earth. "I've seen those marks, don't you think I don't know what you two are up to?"

"Isn't that just the slightest bit awkward for you? You _did _love her once."

"Eh, a part of me will always love her, but trust me when I say I'm happy she found you."

"Thanks, mate." And Kol did mean it. His attention was quickly stolen by the waitress strolling by with more drinks, and Jeremy took the opportunity to slip away from Kol, and over to Anna, who as his friend was correct, was falling asleep.

He gently touched her back to nudge her awake, which she quickly responded to. He chuckled at her head whipping up to face him. Her cheeks flushed, the blood flowing more speedily in embarrassment.

"I am so sorry, I must be coming off as rude. It's just I was up all night studying," Anna apologized.

"No, you're fine. I think his speech is putting everyone to sleep," Jeremy gave her a small smile.

"Hey," she slapped his shoulder. "I think his speech is great."

"You're too nice." Anna just smiled and hesitated before she leaned in to chastely kiss his cheek.

"...And so, thank you all for coming, that's basically all I'm saying," Stefan concluded his speech. Everyone slowly clapped for him, knowing that he's good with words, but as he's nice and calm, he can get quite boring, even if he means well.

"Let's hear it for Stefan!" Caroline shouted this time. Everyone gave one last hoorah before turning their separate ways to mingle with others.

And of course, the person to come up and talk to Caroline was another handsome, rogue, British fellow. No, not Klaus. Enzo.

"Hello, Gorgeous," he greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while."

She gave a genuine smile, "Hey. How've you been?"

"Just great. And you?"

Caroline smiled, "I got Klaus a puppy! He's just the cutest thing, would you like the see pictures?"

Enzo chuckled at the blonde's excitement. "Maybe later, gorgeous."

"So, what's up with you? Get tired of Damon yet?" She asked, in regard for his job as an officer with Damon and her mom.

"Damon's my mate, I can't say anything about him," he joked.

"I'm sure you have some fine tales," she rolled her eyes.

"I do, but your mum keeps everything under wraps."

"Yeah, she is pretty great, isn't she?" Enzo just nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"Why am I here?"

"What do you mean?"

"This is Stefan's party.. I doubt I was one of the first people on the invite list."

Caroline sighed, "Listen. I know you don't like Stefan, nor does he like you. But you're my friend, and unfortunately you're also Damon's friend, so you do deserve to be here."

"Why thanks, I guess."

"Why don't you and Stefan like each other anyway?"

"Hmm, I don't know. He must be jealous of my accent." His comment made Caroline laugh.

Before Caroline could make a comment, her arm was being pulled and suddenly she was being dragged away.

"Bonnie! What was that for?" Caroline hissed after they were out of hearing, in a dark corner in the hallway.

"I need to talk to you. About something."

"Well, obviously." Caroline gestured to the confined space her best friend had took her to. "What is it? Oh my god," Caroline gasped. "Are you pregnant again?!" The blonde's hands flew to her friend's stomach.

Bonnie shook the other girl's hands away, "No! Why would you think that?"

"Jeremy told me he walked in on you and Kol," she admitted. "Oh god, how awkward.." she muttered to herself.

"Okay, that is _not_ how it happened. But just drop it. And I actually _do _need to talk to you about Kol, but it's about Klaus too. It's about their mother."

Caroline quickly looked over her shoulder and thankfully no one was paying attention to the two girls. She turned to the brunette and hushed her, "Shut it, will you? You know it's a very sensitive topic. What if they hear you? Not just Klaus and Kol, but the other three?"

"I _know,_" Bonnie stressed. "But we can't not tell them forever. They deserve to know that their psychotic mother is still hanging around the border of Mystic Falls."

The tall blonde sighed. "I agree.." She glanced back at the party room where everyone was partying. Not only was Klaus having a nice time talking to Stefan, and Kol giving Emma a piggy back ride throughout the party, both having a smile illuminating their faces, but Rebekah was at the snack table with Matt and they were both laughing with whipped cream on their faces, Elijah and Katherine sat on the couch and Elijah had his hands on Katherine's stomach mostl likely feeling for his child, and Finn was dancing with Sage, both smiling and laughing and in love. "But they're all so happy," she pouted. "I don't want to ruin that. She's officially out of their lives, and I think they can all finally relax. Especially our guys. Not having to worry if some apparent parental figure is going to swoop in and take away your happiness, or that you have to bow down to her and do whatever she says, or have the constant fear that history will repeat itself. I think Elijah made the right decision when he told her to get out and never come back. Even if it probably hurts them, mostly Finn, they all know it's for the best. She was a toxic person, and can you imagine what would happen if they found out she was still lurking around? Rage." She lowered her voice, "She killed their little brother. I don't think they can ever forgive her for that."

"I'm not saying they should forgive her, god no. But she's still around, and they should know to be aware. Honestly, I'd feel a lot safer if they knew. Not just for Kol and his siblings, or even me, but for Emma. There's other people involved here, Care. Finn and Sage's son, Katherine and Elijah's unborn child.. You, me, _Matt_." Bonnie said Matt's name in a certain way, knowing how much Caroline cared about their childhood friend.

Caroline closed her eyes to think. She knew that Bonnie was right. And she also knew that her friend knew she had good points herself: they were all happy. If Caroline could describe the way Klaus smiles when it's just the two of them.. It wasn't a smirk, or an evil grin, or even a charming, seductive smile that's all part of a front, no. It was more like.. A child waking up on Christmas morning, realizing the person you love loves you back, seeing fireworks, or going to the beach. His bright blue eyes sparkled, his mouth stretching from ear to ear, and his nose scrunches up because he's laughing so hard. It was a heartwarming sight for her, and she knew that just a few words could make it all crumple down in flames.

"We'll tell them tomorrow," Caroline decided.

Bonnie gave a look. "After the party," she tried to compromise.

"Why? I want just one night with my boyfriend where I can pretend everything is good in the world. At least for him."

Bonnie's face softened. She realized that her friend was genuinely worried for her boyfriend. Sure, the brunette knew about Klaus and everything he's endured growing up, but she didn't realized how much her friend was protective of him. She may not be Klaus' biggest fan, but she does know he should be happy. Because if he's happy, her best friend is happy, and that's all Bonnie wants. So she nodded in silent agreement, saying they'll tell them tomorrow. Caroline smiled and reached out to hug the other girl, before dragging her back out onto the dance floor.

Out of Katherine's eyes she had seen Caroline and Bonnie leave to talk about something, and she sensed the arguing. She wondered what they were fighting about, and she smirked to herself as she realized the perfect way to get the secret out of the two other girls. Sure, she may be a bit too old to play the mean girl card, but she just needs to let out one last bitchy moment before she becomes a mother.

...

The party was a blast, and by eight o'clock at night, the only people remaining at The Salvatore boarding house were Elena, Damon (obviously since they live there), Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Katherine, Sage, and the Mikaelson siblings. The kids; Emma, Tate, and Christian, were all passed out around the house by seven so Elena had put her son to bed, and offered to let her niece and nephew-in-law sleep in the guest room until their parents were ready to go.

"I think I'm going to head out.." Stefan stated.

"Nooo!" Elena laughed from across the room. "It's your party, you need to stay! The guest of honor!" She fell on the floor from laughing so hard at something that wasn't even funny. Obviously, Elena had one too many drinks. But if Damon had any say, it was well deserved for someone who has worked very hard lately and needed to let loose and have fun. Surprisingly, the blue-eyed beauty didn't have one over two drinks because he knew it wasn't appropriate or healthy for Christian to have both parents drunk or hung-over. Since the rascal was asleep (he's a heavy sleeper), he planned on having Elena stay in bed all day tomorrow and take their son mini golfing or something so Elena could relax.

"It's my party and I can leave if I want to." Stefan helped his sister-in-law up off the floor.

"Don't reword my favorite song," Damon interrupted.

"It's not your favorite," Sage said. She went to high school with Damon, and even if they weren't always totally fond of each other, they were actually pretty close friends. And even after all these years, she knows that he always hated that song.

"True," Damon nodded at his old flame.

"There's barely anyone at this party, why are we all still here?" Rebekah asked as her and Matt joined the living room. Everyone remaining had now entered the room.

"Because it's a Mikaelson slash Salvatore and in law party," Klaus stated sarcastically.

"The after-party!" Caroline added, slinging her arm around the taller blonde's shoulder. "Ooh that actually sounds like fun." She then jumped on her boyfriend's back, like one would for a piggy back ride. Klaus just chuckled and knew he'd have one desperately hung-over girlfriend in the morning.

"You're right," Katherine grinned. "We should play a game," she said as she sat beside Matt on the sofa. She, for one, had not been drinking. She had tried to sneak at least one sip in (one sip can't hurt the baby?) but Elijah had caught her and took her glass away from her, and ended up babysitting her the entire night.

"What kind of game?" Kol smirked.

"Truth or dare," Katherine stated simply.

"Aren't we a bit too old for that?" Bonnie asked.

"Nahhh, the evil twin here is up to something," Damon said. He draped his arm around his wife's best friend, "It won't do no harm, unless our BonBon is hiding something."

"Yeah, Bonnie! Got something to hide?" Rebekah joked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but inside she was screaming. She shared a look with Caroline who was at least sober enough to know what was going on. She put on a fake smile, fearing the secret of the five siblings in the room would get out sooner rather than later. _Do they all have to be here? Really? _

"Who wants to start?" Katherine asked.

"It's your idea, why don't you start?" Her sister suggested.

"Nah, I know who my victim is. But I don't want to do it so early, I like to slowly torture people." At the comment made by his wife, Elijah just slowly sighed and face palmed, but had to admit the way the beauty had said it was hilarious and you can just barely see the corner of his mouth twitch up in a smile, even if he tried to disguise it.

"That sounds lovely," Kol grinned. "But I, personally, like to get right to the torture. May I go first?" Everyone just rolled their eyes and nodded. "Sister!" Rebekah sighed when she heard her name. "Truth or dare?"

Rebekah just stared at her brother; she knew he wouldn't have asked her if he didn't have something planned, for either choices, and she was honestly nervous to know what he'd ask. The guy only a year older than her sure knows how to make people squirm in their own skin.

"Am I going to regret saying truth?" She finally said.

The youngest Mikaelson brother just shrugged, "Probably."

"Fine. Dare."

"Damn, okay. I dare.. Okay I didn't really have a dare planned, but I dare you to.. Wait, I know something! It's totally lame, _but you're lame_, sister."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "Thanks, I love you, too. What do I have to do?"

"Well because I know how much of a people person you are..."

"Don't you dare," she warned.

"You should give our lovely, pregnant sister-in-law, a piggy back ride."

"I hate you."

Katherine started laughing, "I was prepared to say how fucking lame this was going to be, but since I benefit from this; I think I like you now, little brother Mikaelson."

"How is this a good dare?" Rebekah groaned.

"I couldn't really say the other ones I thought of out loud.."

"I think it's great," Damon announced. "Just make sure you dump the devil in the trash while you're at it." Elena slapped her husband's shoulder. Katherine shot her ex-boyfriend a dirty look that could kill, and Elijah turned his head to glare at him. "Just kidding," he shot a fake smile.

"Come on, Barbie Klaus," Katherine grinned. "Bring me to the kitchen, I'm hungry."

"You just ate. And I might drop you," the other girl sighed in reluctance.

"Are you calling me fat?" Katherine sounded offended.

The blonde chuckled and smirked, "Maybe."

The raven haired girl turned to her husband, "Control your bitchy sister, no offense."

A few rounds of truth or dare accomplished nothing, as everyone asked stupid questions and came up with lame dares; such as daring Elena to put lipstick of Matt without using her hands, Caroline and Stefan changing shirts, finding out Elijah and Klaus had both had a crush on their neighbor who had been a mother figure to Rebekah when their mom left, hearing the story of how Kol and Rebekah once got suspended, when Caroline, Matt, Elena, Bonnie, and Tyler got arrested back in Freshman year, making the two most reserved Mikaelson siblings singing an old One Direction song, and having Damon call Enzo and declare his unbearing love for him; but it made everyone laugh, which didn't hurt. After Katherine was dared by Sage to put left over cake all over her face until the end of the game, it was finally her time to get some actual dirt out of Caroline and Bonnie.

"Bonnie," she turned to the girl. "Truth or dare?"

Bonnie started laughing, "I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously with that on your face." She was met with a glare and quickly shut up, "Truth."

"Perfect," Katherine smiled maliciously. She glance at Caroline, "What are you and Caroline hiding?"

Caroline's smile from the game immediately faded. Everyone turned their heads to the pair of best friends.

"What?" Bonnie croaked.

"I saw the two of you acting all secrecy all day. There was even a quarrel, wasn't there? I was just wondering why. I mean, we're all friends here, aren't we?"

"It's not really any of your business," Caroline said.

"So, you guys _are _hiding something!" Damon interrupted.

"Oooh, I love secrets," Kol joked as he nudged his girlfriend, who just sent him a weak smile.

"You're such a bitch," Bonnie shot a look to the girl who looked just like her best friend. Everyone was shocked how blunt she had been, which made them all more curious as to what she and Caroline were hiding.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Matt asked in concern for his friend.

She just nodded, turned to her friend, and hissed, "I told you we shouldn't have waited until tomorrow."

The blonde sighed, "Fine." She glanced from Klaus, to Elijah, Rebekah, Finn, and Kol. The five siblings saw her looks and felt their blood go cold, for an unknown reason.

"Love, what is it?" Klaus gently rubbed his girlfriend's lower back for support.

"It's about your mother," she admitted.

That did it. Those four words just slapped the warmth out of their personalities.

Rebekah's eyes started tearing up.

Finn was attacked with false hope.

Elijah was filled with anxiety.

Kol was hit with a fit of rage.

Klaus felt like he couldn't breathe.

It was just a few seconds but all five of them felt their world fall apart.

Katherine held her head in regret for stirring something, knowing that whatever this was, she knew Caroline and Bonnie would have told it tastefully and her husband's face wouldn't look like that. Damon, Elena, and Stefan shared a look wondering if they should even be there.

"What about her?" Finn was the one to speak.

"She's still in town," Bonnie explained. "Caroline, Elena, and I bumped into her yesterday at the grocery store-"

"Wait, you met her?" Kol asked. "Please tell me she doesn't know who you are."

Bonnie nodded, "Why is that bad? Was I not supposed to say anything?"

"I was trying to protect you, damn it. She didn't need to know about us."

"Well, it's too late now."

"She's filled with hope that you guys will change your mind," Caroline added.

"How did she know who you guys were?" Elijah asked.

"She thought Elena was Katherine."

"And things kind of just went from there."

Klaus lifted his hands to his face and sighed.

"We have to do something," Rebekah spoke up, her voice cracking.

"What do you suggest we do? There's nothing we can do," Finn said.

"Don't be so pessimistic. You're probably ready to go kiss her feet; I saw your face when Caroline mentioned her," Kol accused.

"That is _not _fair. I have every reason to hate her as you do."

"Never thought that day would come, brother."

"Both of you stop it!" Bonnie cried.

"Katherine, this is all your fault," Caroline turned her head to the brunette.

"Oh my god, how was I supposed to know that the big secret was about some psycho bitch my husband calls a mother?!"

"Maybe if you didn't act like such a fucking child."

"_I'm _the child? I'm not the one planning 'Friendsgiving' and Secret Santa! I'm not the one who bakes cookies with her mother, I'm not the one who belts out old Disney songs, I'm not the one-"

"Just shut up! You always have to start trouble. Ever since we were in high school-"

"Oh, grow up and stop being such a big baby."

"I can't believe I thought we were starting to become friends!"

"Same here-" before Katherine could finish yelling at the blonde, Damon had picked up the fire pokey-thing and banged it against the table, startling everyone.

"That is enough! I hate to do this, but I'm cutting this party short."

Elena stood beside her husband, "Yes. It's been a wonderful evening with all of you, but I think there are some things to think about."

"Perhaps you guys should all head home," Stefan added.

"Gladly," Katherine huffed.

Elijah broke out of whatever trance he had been in since the fighting began and looked at his wife in disappointment, before standing up.  
"Thank you Elena and Damon for sharing your home with my family and I. And Stefan, congratulations on your graduation."

"Thanks," Stefan said as he shook Elijah's hand. Elijah shook Damon's hand, and then hugged Elena.

Sage stood next, holding her husband's hand.

"I am sorry for mine and my brother's behavior," Finn said. "And I apologize for the scene we might have made."

"No, it's okay," Elena spoke. "I know things might be hard with your mother, and I just hope everything will work out." He nodded, as his wife said goodbye to Damon.

They thanked Damon and Elena, and congratulated Stefan one last time, before heading upstairs to get their son and going home. Tate was still fast asleep when his parents picked him up, and they could only hope the energetic fireball will continue sleeping until morning.

That left Elena's three closest friends, and the wildest of the British family.

"I am so sorry for all of this," Caroline spoke up.

"I don't need you to be sorry," Damon said. "I need you to leave. All of you."

"Damon, they're my friends-" Elena tried to say.

"And I'm asking nicely. Listen, I'm sorry for whatever drama is with your mother, I really am, but it's getting late, and we're all cranky and tired and worked up, especially me, so if my house isn't cleared within the next five minutes-"

"You'll what?" Kol asked smugly. He stood beside his sister, who had just finished putting her coat on. She joined her brother in sending Damon a look that said they weren't afraid of him.

Klaus joined his siblings, "You do realize you can't actually threaten us, right? And if you did, you're no match for us-"

"You want a bet?" Damon took a step closer to the British man. Elena tried to touch his shoulder to pull him back, but he shrugged her off. He has wanted to have a talk with the three siblings for quite some time. He didn't even realize that they were grown up now, but in his defense, neither did they.

"Guys, this isn't high school!" Matt exclaimed. "Stop. This is a celebration of Stefan, don't let your mother ruin it. And don't fall back to having stupid arguments with people you tolerate because it'll show that we learned nothing from our lives together. I know not all of us are the closest there is, but we're all better than death threats and overused comebacks."

"I agree," Bonnie said. Caroline, Elena, and Stefan nodded in agreement.

"Who said anything about death threats?" Rebekah asked sweetly.

"Bekah," Matt warned. "Let's go." He held out his hand.

His fiancé sighed in surrender. She turned to her brothers and lowered her voice, "Call me tomorrow so we can figure stuff out about.. _Her._"

Kol and Klaus nodded, both hugging their sister as she said goodbye. Rebekah said bye to the Salvatores and the other three girls, and congratulating and hugging Stefan for the last time. Matt said his goodbyes as well, and then the soon-to-be-married couple was out the door.

Caroline gently touched her boyfriend's arm, and felt horrible when he flinched at her touch.

"Kol?" Bonnie asked her boyfriend.

Sensing the awkwardness, Stefan said, "Damon, Elena. Would you guys like help cleaning up?"

"I'll clean up once my house was empty," Damon stated, glaring at the four people standing before him.

"Damon. Give them a few minutes," Elena whispered. She wanted to go hug her friends goodbye, but seeing the tension between them and their boyfriends, she settled for a quick wave and an encouraging smile. The two girls returned the smile. Elena curtly walked out of the room into the kitchen, expecting the Salvatore brothers to be behind her.

"Thank you guys for coming, and I hope things work out.." Stefan said before he followed Elena. Caroline wanted to hug him goodbye, but considering she's hugged him at least fifty times today, she debated against it.

Damon still hadn't moved, but when Bonnie touched his shoulder and said, "Give us five minutes. We'll be gone, I promise."

Damon sighed and nodded. "Only because it's you whose asking." Bonnie smiled, knowing he had a soft spot for her. He turned to the other three, "You got five minutes." And then he left the room.

"I want to go home," Klaus said immediately. He turned to his girlfriend, "I need to talk to you. I need you to tell me everything."

Caroline nodded, "There's not much to tell. But I'll tell you all that happened."

As Caroline and Klaus were getting ready to leave while having their own conversation, Bonnie and Kol stood staring at each other.

"Kol?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't want to talk."

"That's alright-"

"I don't want to talk to _you_," he clarified.

"_Oh_," her face fell. "I understand."

"No, you don't."

"Okay, I don't. Because I didn't do anything wrong."

"Maybe you didn't. But I'm just upset and angry."

"Why?"

"Because you didn't tell me right when it happened."

"I'm sorry-"

"I know you were just trying to spare my feelings, protect me, whatever, but I'm still hurt." Bonnie didn't know what to say. "_But_.. I'm even more worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?"

"Now that 'mother-dearest' knows about you."

Bonnie sighed. "Kol.. I don't think she's going to do anything.. I know she's crazy, but she doesn't seem like that type of person.. The type of person to threaten or blackmail or hurt her children's loved ones.."

"What about my brother?"

"That's not the same thing. You know what I mean. I don't think she'd get involved in your love life-"

"You have no idea how wrong you are about that." He recalled a few situations back in London.

Bonnie just gave her boyfriend a confused look. He shook his head, before grabbing her coat and helping her put it on. Soon enough, the pair was headed home.

...

The ride home with Elijah and Katherine was completely silent. But it wasn't the comfortable silence; it was the awkward silence. Or was it the angry silence? Katherine was definitely angry; at Caroline, at Damon, at Esther, but mostly at herself. Elijah on the other hand, while he was mad at his mother, he was honestly more upset with his wife.

When they pulled into the drive way and parked, Katherine rested her hand on Elijah's forearm.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he had changed the subject. "What was the point of that?"

"I'm worried about you.." she said, not getting what he was talking about.

"Not that." He took his hand away from hers. "I meant: the truth or dare, the fight with Caroline, the mean girl attitude. Was that all really necessary? You're not in high school anymore."

"You didn't even know me then, how do you know-"

"Because you're _you_, Katerina! You're not a nice person."

Her heart broke when she heard what he thought of her. She knew she wasn't the nicest person, but she thought he had known the real her. Knowing he thought she was a bitch; no, he didn't actually say that, but the thought was there; made her want to throw something.

"Then why did you marry me?" she screamed.

"You don't need to yell-"

She screamed once again just to prove her point; if she wanted to scream, she would.

"You're acting like a child!"

She hit his shoulder, "You take that back!"

"See?" he motioned between them. "I'm not having this conversation." He opened the car door and climbed out.

"Don't you walk away from me!" She exclaimed as she chased him inside their house. "I'm not done with you!"

Not turning to face her, "Well, I am. I'll talk to you when you stop acting like a child."

"You're not mad at me! You're mad at your mother! Don't take it out on me!"

"I don't like the woman, yes, but I'm more concerned with the fact that my wife is behaving childishly when we're becoming parents in five months!"

They had reached their bedroom by this point. Elijah stood in front of the mirror, and he started undoing his suit and tie. Katherine stood behind him with her arms crossed.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, but deep down she knew he was right. Although she hated to admit when she's wrong, she hated fighting with Elijah more. With anyone else, she'd scream and kick until they gave her her way, and she'd enjoy watching their skin crawl. But with the man undressing in front of her, the same man who is the only person she opens up to, the only one she feels comfortable around, the only person she truly loves, she realized it wasn't the end of the world if she surrendered.

"You're right."

Elijah turned to face her in shock. He raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, did Katherine Pierce just admit that someone other than herself is right?"

"I won't comment to that.." she laughed lightly. In all seriousness she continued, "I know I'm immature.. I have a lot of growing up to do before our child gets here, I know that. My actions tonight were purely selfish, and I'm sorry. I didn't think about Bonnie or Caroline's feelings, or that it could affect you and your siblings. I just.. This is going to sound really bad, but I wanted to get out one last bitch move before I became a mother. It's just who I am, Elijah. I'm cruel, and I'm selfish, and I'm sadistic, and I'm self-centered. But.. I want to change. Not just for you and our child, but for myself. I just needed to let out one last scheme, and I'm sorry I didn't think of the consequences. I'm a horrible person, and as much as I want to change, I can't promise it'll be a huge success, but I can swear that I'll try. I love you, and I'll be a better person. For you."

Elijah gave a small smile. He took her hands in his. "Katerina, you're not a horrible person. You're not nice, but you're not horrible. I know who you are, you never have to explain yourself to me. I love you for all of your faults, and I only want you to change if _you _want to. The only thing I request is you stop picking childish fights, as that is a terrible example for our child. I don't wish you to change who you are, for me, or for anyone. You said you wanted to change for yourself, but be sure it's what you want to do. Not me, or your sister, or anyone else. I love you for exactly who you are, and so will our son or daughter. And I think I also owe you an apology. I was disappointed by your behavior tonight, but then I was the one to pick a fight in the car tonight. I furthered the childish fighting. I was even going to use the cold shoulder," he chuckled. "You said I was mad at my mother, and I was taking it out on you... And I guess that _is_ the case. I didn't want to talk about it, so I decided to pick a fight so we wouldn't have to. And I'm sorry."

Katherine smiled. "You stupid idiot, _you_ didn't apologize." She stood on her tip toes to hug him. "And did I mention I hate you because you always one-up my speeches?"

He smiled and kissed her nose.

"And did I mention you're such a cute kisser?"

He ran his hands down her back, sending shivers down her spine, resting on her hips. He leaned down to kiss her temple. With his eyes closed, he still rested his lips on the top of her head, and pulled her closer to his body. She melted into the embrace.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked after several moments.

He shook his head. "Tomorrow. I don't want to think about it."

She smirked, "Do you want a distraction?"

"Hmm.." He pulled away from the hug. He reached behind his back to lift his shirt above his head. "I think I could be persuaded.."

Katherine laughed, cupping his face with her hands and smashing her lips with his. Elijah reached his hands around her body, his fingers finding the zipper of her dress and pulling it down.

* * *

**Sooo.. This isn't the best I could do, especially after my long absence. But I needed to get this chapter out of the way so I could get to the actual storylines I've been so very eager to write! This chapter sort of just wrote itself, especially the Kalijah fight! I didn't even plan that, but it just sort of happened. I'm sorry if Katherine or Elijah seemed OOC, or if anyone did. But I hope you at least liked this chapter :)**

**Okay, just a question.. How many people would like some flashbacks of the Original Family? Back in England, and perhaps even when they moved to Mystic Falls and met the people they know today? I've been wanting to do flashbacks, and I've had opportunities but I never did them. Although, if many people want them, I can make them work!**

**And.. Beware of a major plot twist! I'm still debating to include it, but I'm leaning towards it, so prepare for it!**

**Anyway.. Maybe you could leave a review? Yes, no, maybe so? I would be very grateful, and it'll be a nice way to welcome me back! So hit that button and tell me what you thought :) Also, feel free to suggest a storyline :)**

**Until next time, and I promise not to be so long xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Sorry that it's been a couple of weeks since my last update: I've just been too busy watching Gossip Girl on Netflix lol. But I figured that since The Originals returns tomorrow, and TVD later this week, it'd be a great time to update!**

**BTW: I'm sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes, fanfiction is weird right now and I don't have the spellcheck (or perhaps it's my computer I don't know lol) so please excuse any mistakes you happen to come across.**

**A couple of new storylines will be introduced this chapter so you guys will be shaking your heads with so many questions by the end of this! Oh and I wrote in a flashback! It wasn't necessarily a flashback I wanted, I honestly don't even know where that flashback came from. But there will be more flashbacks to come, so keep an eye out!**

**So without further ado...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, although I wish I did because so many things are going wrong that I just need to fix.**

* * *

Matt awoke to the smell of pancakes and cinnamon. He crinkled his forehead before climbing off the bed, and finding his way to the kitchen. He saw Rebekah dance around the kitchen with her hair up in a ponytail, flipping a pan around. He smiled at how happy and normal she seemed, but at the same time was confused because of the events of last night.

"Hey," he acknowledged.

She turned around and smiled at him. "Morning! Care for pancakes? Or coffee with cinnamon?"

He shook his head, "I'm fine for now, thanks." She nodded and brought a fork to her mouth. "But what is all of this? I don't think I've ever seen you lift a finger.. Anywhere."

She shrugged, "I just had the urge to try something new."

"Most people try to bungee jump or scuba dive, but you want to try making pancakes," he clarified.

"From scratch," she said proudly. "They actually came out pretty good. Are you sure you don't want some? You're missing out."

"Who are you and what have you done with my fiancé?"

Rebekah laughed and curled her fingers into the taller blonde's hair. "I'm right here. And guess what?"

"What?" He raised his eyebrow.

Her face turned from happy to serious in a matter of seconds. Her eyes darkened and her lips set in a straight line. It reminded Matt so much of the looked his fiancé used to give Caroline, Sage, and Katherine that it started to scare him.

"The bitch is back."

Matt sighed. "Bekah, don't you think.."

"No, not me. I mean, I've always been a bitch when I needed to be, right? And I need to be right now. But I'm talking about my mother. Me and my brothers are having a meeting tonight at The Grill to discuss what we need to do."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Barely. I've suggested a restraining disorder, but for some reason I doubt that'll work."

"Even your mother can't disobey the law."

"I don't know.. Kol suggested calling the police and turn her in for.." Her eyes fell to the floor and her voice got caught in her throat. "Henrik's murder. But Elijah said that his death was ruled as an accident, and it'd be messy to dig up the investigation again. And Finn said something about how even though he's mad at her, he doesn't want her to go to jail, and frankly; neither do I."

Matt pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry this is such a mess."

"It wouldn't be if we hadn't let her back into our lives."

"Don't worry about the past. Think about the future. And don't fret about your mom; everything will work out, I promise you." Rebekah nodded and leaned closer to Matt to rest her head on his shoulder.

...

Kol stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at his reflection; and no, it wasn't in a narcissistic way. He was just a mess right from last night, and he did something he could not be proud of. Or well, he almost did. It doesn't matter now, because its a new day; a new day filled with new problems.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed before walking out the door and into his and Bonnie's bedroom. Bonnie lay in the bed, still fast asleep. He thought she looked adorable; she was hugging her teddy bear, and her hair was sprawled out on the pillows. He climbed back into bed beside her, letting his thoughts run away from him.

He felt bad about the fight he had with her last night. He knows it wasn't her fault, nor was it Caroline's. They just wanted to protect him and his siblings, and he gets that. He just figures he was mad at his mom for continuing to meddle in his life. She just always has to do it, and she can't leave well enough alone. He never told his mom about Bonnie because he was worried she'd make her disappear or something, like she had his first (real) girlfriend.

His first girlfriend is a long story. His siblings just thought she was another quest in his womanizing ways, but she was more than that to him. He actually, kind of, fell in love with her. Or, at least he thought he had. He didn't know what love was until he met Bonnie; which is why he's going to do everything that he can not to let her get away from him. That is, unless she wants to. He'd understand: his family is mental, he'd want to leave if he could. But if there is anything he could do about it, he wouldn't let her be corrupted and leave.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the figure beside him stir. The dark skinned beauty was awakening and Kol decided to surprise her; he draped his arm over her body and curled himself behind her, letting his lips rest against her ear.

"Morning, babe," he whispered before leaving a small kiss on her forehead.

She smiled and leaned backwards into his touch. She turned her head to face him,  
"Morning."

"I'm sorry.. About last night."

"No, I am. And please, let's not talk about such unpleasant topics so early in the morning. I think I have a headache."

"How ironic, you're the wild one and I'm the calm one. Oh how the tables have turned." She elbowed him.

"Shush!" They shared a smile before the room got scarcely quiet. Bonnie lowered her voice, as if she was a child ready to tell her parents she broke their wedding china. "Are you okay with.. Last night.. Do you guys know what you're going to do?"

Kol sighed. "I honestly don't even know. I just got off the phone with Elijah, actually. We're meeting at The Grill tonight."

"Hey, I'm working tonight, if you want to head over together."

"That'd be great."

The two then fell into an awkward silence.

Bonnie spoke up, "I doubt this is a great time to tell you, but with your mom and everything.. Next week.. My mom is coming to town for a visit."

Kol made a face. "Noooo! She hates me!"

"She doesn't _hate _you!"

"Yes she does."

"She hates my dad, don't feel that bad."

"She never hated Jeremy."

"Oh, come on."

"Darling, don't tell me that your mom doesn't wish you were still with Jeremy. She hates me, where I come from, my family, my profession, every damn thing about me."

"Yeah, and Jeremy's not her favorite person either because he got me pregnant at nineteen."

"She still likes him better!"

"No, she doesn't, you stupid idiot. She may not like you-"

"Ha!"

"-But she just wants me to happy-" Bonnie locked her arms at the nape of Kol's neck, and leaned her face in so she was millimeters away from his. "And _you _make me happy. That's all that matters."

"You know it's not that simple, Bonnie."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry; she'll be too busy fighting with my dad to notice you."

Kol made another face. "Sure, whatever."

"Oh, you love me. My mom isn't going to scare you away."

He nodded, "Right." He sighed, "And mine isn't going to scare you away?"

"Of course not."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss the space between her eyes. He then glanced at the clock.

"We have a few hours before your shift, what would you like to do?"

She leaned into the fluffy pillows and pretended to think. "Hmm.. I kind of need to take a shower." She threw the sheets off of her body and stood up. "You coming?" She called as she started walking to the bathroom.

Kol grinned and shook his head, before following her.

...

"Uncle Tyler! Can you help me climb the monkey bars?" Emma gave her puppy dog stare to her father's close friend.

Tyler was invited to spend the day with Jeremy and Emma, strolling around the town. Jeremy also offered to help Tyler find a job, but there had been no luck so far. Emma was tired of all the boring "adult" stores her dad and uncle dragged her to. She demanded they bring her to the park, right before she gave them her pout lip. Tyler saw through her façade, but Jeremy just wanted to make his little girl happy. Tyler did had to admit; the kid was cute. It made him sad that he ruined his opportunities to have that with someone, but he knew things happened for a reason.

Tyler smiled down at his "niece."  
"Sure, kiddo."

"I'm just going to go sit on the bench-" Jeremy nodded over to the bench on the edge of the playground.

"And call your girlfriend?" Tyler teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."

"Shut up, you dick."

Tyler covered Emma's ears, "Hey, there's a child listening."

Jeremy sighed and walked away, leaving his best friend and daughter to monkey it up.

"I don't want to go on the monkey bars anymore," Emma changed her mind.

Tyler leant down so he was face to face with her, "Okay.. So what do you want to do?"

"TAG!" She hit the adult's shoulder and then proceeded to run away.

At first he was in shock by the sudden game, but he then stood up and chased the five-year old across the playground. As he was a football player, he wasn't going as fast as he is able to, he's just pretending for the kid. But when she ended up running up on the field and through a zig zag line of people did he not know where he was going and bumped into someone. But it wasn't a small bump, it was a full-on crash.

He ran into her, she tripped on her feet and fell tumbling to the ground, dragging Tyler with her.

"Ugh, you _idiot_!" she cried. Her curly blonde hair sprawled across her face.

"I'm so sorry-" Tyler tried to apologize, but the girl wasn't having it.

"Save it." She blew her hair out of her face. "I hate boys, they're so immature," she muttered.

When her face was now uncovered by her hair, he noticed who she was. "Hey, I know you."

"Don't go singing Sleeping Beauty on me."

"Wow, way less pleasant than I remember."

"What do you mean you know me?" She realized he was still on top of her so she elbowed him off. They both sat up, still sitting on the grass.

"At Stefan's party? You're Lexi's roommate?"

The mystery girl nodded in remembrance. "And let me guess; you're the dickhead who moved to Florida or whatever and dumped Caroline Forbes?"

"A lot of people know that, huh?"

"Yup," she nodded in annoyance.

"What's your name?"

"Like I'd tell you my name."

"Well I'd like to buy you coffee to make up for my irresponsible human crash. I can't do that if I don't have your name."

Despite her best efforts, a small smile curled at the corned of her lip. She hesitated a few moments before turning to look at him.  
"My name is Liv Parker. Now you know my name, but I really don't want to have coffee with you."

Tyler nodded and chuckled. "That's completely okay. We got off on a bad start; I'm Tyler. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand for her to shake.

She glanced at his hand, not knowing whether or not to shake his hand. Sure, it was the polite thing to do, but she wasn't necessarily what you'd call polite. Before she could scoff in his face, they were interrupted.

"Uncle Tyler! You were supposed to be chasing me!" Emma ran up to the pair and started "yelling" at Tyler for bailing out on their game. Liv understood the incident now and mentally cursed herself for jumping to conclusions. He was playing tag with a kid, that's why he tackled her. She guesses she didn't have to be so rude to him.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. Just ran into someone." He eyed Liv, but she avoided his eye contact. "You can still take me up on my coffee offer, if you want. It still stands."

Liv sighed and stood up angrily. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass." She didn't realize what a bitch she sounded. She could have turned him down in a much nicer way.

"You don't need to be such a bitch." It was Tyler's turn to become annoyed. He wasn't upset she turned him down, he couldn't care less, he just found her incredibly rude. He _apologized _for bumping into her. What was her problem?

"Quiet! There's a child in ear's width." She gave him a fake smile. "But honestly.. I'm just a bitch." She doesn't know why she was still acting like a bitch; maybe because she's heard about Tyler and what a complete arrogant ass he is, and doesn't want to start anything. Better to scare him off now.

And then she walked away.

Unfortunately, she did the exact opposite of what she wanted to do; she didn't scare Tyler away.

She pulled him in.

...

"Wait, what did Alaric say?" Elena started laughing as she walked down the street with Jenna. The two decided to hang out for the day, so they got coffee and walked around town talking about random things. And of course, little Christian was tailing along. Every time Jenna saw Chris, it made her want to talk to Alaric about having a child. But every time she tries to talk to her husband, something comes up and she just shrugs it off. And every time she thinks she's pregnant, the test always proves her wrong. She guesses fate just doesn't want them to have a baby.

Jenna took a sip of her coffee but could barely swallow it from holding in the urge to laugh.

"I was trying to sleep but he kept tossing and turning. And then he just sat up, obviously still asleep, and he was like _I need to press the button._ And so I told him that I already pressed the button, but he told me I didn't know how to. And then he was like _If Damon would get his dick out of the pickle jar then I could press the fucking button! But nooooo, he has to go to Russia! He's such a prick. I can't even sing Beyoncé without him, he gets so angry. Tell Damon to immigrate to Narnia because I'm done with him telling me how to run my life._" Once Jenna finished quoting what Alaric said in his sleep, she burst out laughing. Not like she wasn't laughing while she said it. Elena, on the other hand, was laughing so hard she thought her lips were going to fall off.

"Oh my god. That's the best thing I've heard all week!"

"I know!" Jenna laughed. "But.. Is there something our husbands need to tell us? My husband is dreaming and _sleep talking _about yours," she joked.

"I think their bromance is cute."

"What's a bromance?" Christian asked as he hung on Elena's arm.

"It's a friendship between two guys. It's quite sweet," the mother of one answered.

"Do Tate and I have a bromance?" the young boy asked, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Yes, honey," Elena chuckled.

"Awesome!"

Jenna smiled at her niece and grand-nephew.

"So, what's new with you?" Jenna asked.

"Hmm.. Nothing much," Elena thought for a moment. "I feel bad for Katherine. Elijah and his family are dealing with some difficult stuff at the moment."

"Well, that sucks. I should call Katherine later-"

"Ooh, Katherine Pierce? I remember her," a voice said from behind them.

Elena froze in her tracks. She _knew _that voice. She was terrified of that voice. She grabbed her son and gripped his arm hard so he couldn't get away from her.

She slowly turned around, keeping Chris behind her legs. And to her dismay, exactly who she feared was standing there was.

Kai Parker.

"Elena Gilbert. Never thought I'd see you again." He sent her a flirty smile.

Jenna glared at the man a few feet away from her niece.

"You're going to leave Elena and her family alone," she threatened.

"Why would I do that? I have some history with her husband. And best friend.. Bonnie, was it?"

Elena gulped. "I thought you were in jail."

"I got out." He said it so simply. His tone of voice was dangerous. So dangerous she wondered why the Portland police station let him out. And why he was even allowed back in Mystic Falls. Both Elena and Jenna were speechless. Kai knew this, and he also saw the child hiding behind Elena's legs and he smirked. The kid looked so much like Damon, he just knew it was Elena and Damon's child. He didn't say anything except, "I guess I'll see you guys around. Send Bonnie and Damon my best regards!"

After he was out of earshot, Elena was finally able to breathe. She looked at her Aunt and the two shared a look.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

...

"Oh my god, he's so cute!" Caroline laughed as Henry attacked her face with her tongue. She was hanging upside down in the chair, and the puppy just pounced on over, licking the blonde's face over and over. "It tickles!"

"Do I have something to worry about?" Klaus said sarcastically from across the room. The small family were seated in Klaus's studio; Klaus woke up this morning in need to paint his feelings, and Caroline desperately wanted to talk about them. He told her he was busy, so she took that as "take a seat and talk to me while I work."

The pair had talked plenty last night about Care's encounter with Esther, but she just wanted her boyfriend to know that she was here for him, in every way possible. Even if she's heard it all before, she'll gladly hear him open up to her. She just doesn't want to leave him alone, and honestly; Klaus doesn't seem to mind her company. Or the dog's.

"Aww, don't be jealous. I still love you the most." Henry barked and Klaus sent his love a smile. "Okay, maybe.. I love the dog more."

"Hey!" He threw one of his unused paintbrushes at her. She caught it and laughed.

"Kidding," she sang. She sat up on the chair, picking up the small dog as she did. She scratched him behind the ear, but as he squirmed to get away, she set him down on the floor and watched him run away with his small legs.

Caroline stood up and walked over to Klaus, who was deep away in his thoughts, letting his hand drag the brush across the page, painting a picture subconsciously. She kissed the top of his head and rested her hands on his shoulders. Peering at the artwork, she was surprised at what he was painting.

"What's this?" She asked.

This wasn't some angry piece about his mother. This wasn't a tragedy or a betrayal. This was not some deep emotional figure of expression.

This was.. Her.

She had to admit, he made her look like a princess, a goddess even. Sure, he's drawn many portraits of her before, but nothing ever came close to the first one he ever drew of her; the one with the horse. But _this_.. It took her breath away.

"Oh, this? It's nothing really.. Just a painting of the most beautiful, caring, alive, amazing girl I know."

She felt her face light up on fire; and hid her face in his hair, shaking her head as his to say she disagreed. "No, but seriously.. Why'd you draw _me_?"

He turned his head so he could see her. "Because you're my muse."

She gave him an 'are you serious' look. He chuckled and grabbed her hips, seating her on his lap. "I'm serious." He answered honestly, "Whenever things got bad in my life, growing up, I never really had a safe place to land. My siblings were great and all, but they were home. They came with my parents, as much as we all wished we hadn't; we do. It was comfortable, the five of us, but it wasn't _enough_. I never had someone to catch me when I fell, _only me. _I didn't even have a thing that made me feel better. But _now, _I have you. Despite all odds, you managed to fall in love with me. Despite how horrible I am sometimes, you chose me. I have chosen you since the moment I met you, but it took you a while to choose me, and I'm still surprised that you decided to, in the end. You just make me so happy, and now whenever I have a problem; I think of what makes me happy, which is you.. You're like this.. Beacon of light guiding me through the dark. You're all sunshine, and I'm the rain, but together; we make a rainbow. I didn't realize how incredibly cheesy that sounded.." They both laughed. "I just.. Love you, so much. And I'm glad that I have you, because if I didn't.. I would have probably made a big mistake every time my life got messed up. You make me want to be better; not like I need to impress you or anything, I already got you, but you inspire me. You're just so amazing, I can't even imagine what I did before I met you.

Painting how I feel about you is way more rewarding than painting how much I hate my mother. You're the light in my life, and when it's dark, I just need you to guide me home."

Caroline's eyes started watering from that beautiful speech. "I knew there was a reason I was dating an artist," she laughed and rested her forehead against her boyfriend's. He chuckled too at her comment, and closed the gap between their lips.

...

_LONDON, ENGLAND APRIL 1999_

_Rebekah had heard her parents screaming at each other for the millionth time that day, and couldn't handle being in that house anymore. She snuck out her window (because they'd never let her leave out the front door without a clear destination) and climbed up the tree outside her room. She just sat on the top of the tree looking out at the twilight sky. The sun was just barely setting, and on the horizon was a calming shade of pink that faded into a dark black. She could see the stars peaking at the peak of the sky, and the full moon was visible. As a nine year old, she didn't know much; but she did know that her mum and dad fought a lot, and escaping to her tree to watch the sky was a beautiful escape. Nature was a beautiful thing to a young Rebekah. Too bad most of her interests got ruined for her down the road._

_She hugged her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees. She took a deep breath and listened to the owls starting to howl now that the darkness was looming over her yard. _

_"Hey," she heard a noise from below her branch. She glanced down and saw her older brother, Klaus. She smiled down at the other blonde and held out her hand to help him up to the top. Thankfully, the tree held both of them, and they just sat in silence for a few moments. _

_"I knew I'd find you here," the twelve-year old spoke up. "I'm the one who showed you this spot afterall."_

_Rebekah laughed softly. "Mum and dad are fighting again," her voice trembled as she could now hear the screams getting louder._

_"I know. You missed the new argument." His younger sister gave him a look of curiosity. "Father hit Elijah."_

_The young girl's eyes widened. "What? Why?! Is he okay?"_

_"Yeah. I mean, they were fighting over something stupid in the beginning.. But Kol was trying to tell mum about his day at school, and she was too busy fighting with dad.. You know how Kol is with attention; he picked up a vase and threw it on the ground. Father saw him do it, but as we all know he just loves to blame me. I was just trying to do my homework, but he threw my book in the fire place.. I was ready to take the hit. Kol was screaming to stop, that that's not what he wanted to happen. Mum was crying and yelling. Finn and Elijah were in their room, trying to ignore the fighting, but when they heard Kol screaming they had come out. Finn tried to tell Father that it wasn't my fault. But it was Elijah who actually stepped in. Before Father could hit me, Elijah jumped on his back. I fell to the floor and he just.. Took it out on Elijah instead. He called Elijah names for choosing me over him, that I wasn't even his real brother. I don't know what happened next because Finn picked me up and brought me and Kol into his and Elijah's room to avoid even more of Father's rath. A few minutes later, Elijah emerged in the room with an ice pack to his face, and then the fighting started up again. Louder, this time. Mum was furious that He hit Elijah, that he tried to hit me. It's not like it's the first time, and she never does anything about it. But she was just really angry. So then I came up to find you."_

_Rebekah was silent for a moment. The only thing that her brain could care about from what he brother told her was the fact that Mikael told Elijah Klaus wasn't his brother. She grabbed Klaus' hand and held it in her own. "You _are _our brother. Whether half, or full, or even not at all. You're my brother, and I love you. And Elijah loves you too, why else would he sacrifice himself?"_

_"I know."_

_A thought occurred to her. "Where's Henrik?"_

_"Well, he _was_ sleeping.. And then crying when the screaming got worse. Of course, our parents are too self absorbed in their screaming matches to care about their four-year old. He's with the boys right now, I think Finn put on Rugrats or something."_

_"I want to watch the Rugrats," the younger blonde pouted._

_"Then come join us, you doofus." He bumped the girl's shoulder with his own._

_"I will. I just like the peacefulness of the tree. It's better than inside."_

_"Well, I think things are somewhat calm now." She nodded. "By the way, why are so wise for a nine-year old?"_

_"Someone in this family needs to be."_

_"Well, you got my vote."_

_Rebekah smiled. Klaus held out his hand and she gladly took it. He helped her down the tree and in through the window. They then snuck into Finn and Elijah's room, where sure enough the rest of their brothers were watching Rugrats. The only girl in a herd of six ran to fourteen-year old Elijah and gave him a hug, never leaving his side for the rest of the night, where the siblings just watched stupid movies and ate candy they hide in their drawers and laughed at stupid jokes, ignoring their parents._

...

_Ding dong. Ding dong._

Katherine groaned and hoped that whoever was at the door would go away. She was too comfortable lying in her indoor hammock chair all curled up in her snuggie to care about answering some door. If only Elijah was here, he would answer it. But when it rang for the billionth time, she sighed and threw her blanket off and stomped to the door.

She unlocked the door and flew it open. She was surprised who was standing before her. It was a young girl, perhaps fifteen years old. She was tall, blonde, and had striking blue eyes. She looked.. Lost. Lost, yet familiar.

"May I help you?" Katherine didn't mean to sound rude, but she doubted she was any help to the girl so she was kind of upset about the interruption (not like she was doing anything, as her husband was out with his siblings trying to figure out their whole crazy mother situation).

The girl trembled, obviously nervous. "Uhm, yes, I think so."

"Well, spit it out."

"I read off the internet that Elijah Mikaelson lives here.. Do you know where I can find him?"

* * *

**Woah, what does this girl want with Elijah? Exactly who is she? And Kai has been introduced! What's his story? Why was he in jail? What's his history with Bonnie, Damon, and Elena? And what will the Mikaelsons do about Esther? What did she do to Kol's first "love." Who was his first love? And what was the thing that Kol almost did last night that he is not proud of? Why does Bonnie's mom hate Kol? What will she bring to the table? Now that Tyler and Liv have met, will a romance brew? They didn't get off on the right foot, perhaps it'll be a love-hate relationship? Will Jenna and Alaric ever have a family?**

**All of these will soon be answered! Just maybe favorite, follow, and review and you'll find out sooner :)**

**And what did you guys think about the flashback? Tbh, this wasn't the flashback I had in mine, this just sort of wrote itself. But more flashbacks will come, some that have to do with the storyline. I guess I just wrote the one from this chapter because of the timeline. This mystery girl who is looking for Elijah.. Maybe she has something to do with this timeline? No, she wasn't in this flashback... But her story dates back to this time. Any guesses?**

**Oh, and what flashbacks would you guys like to see next? I can't promise whether they'll make it in the next chapter, but I can start planning!**

**Review and let me know what you guys thought! Until next time :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Thanks for your lovely reviews :)**

**Anyone been watching The Originals? Or The Vampire Diaries? TO is awesome, and TVD is pretty good too! I just want my baby Bonnie back to life and to stop being screwed over :(**

**Sooo.. I've gotten a few people wanting a Klaroline flashback.. And well, there is one at the end of the chapter! It's kind of rushed, and I'm so sorry. I've just been writing this for like four hours and it's almost 10:30 and I have school tomorrow and I want to finish this. **

**Anyway, a few big things happen this chapter. Be prepared for a roller coaster! Anywho, enjoy this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or TO.**

* * *

_Previously on "The Human Diaries"_

_"I read off the internet that Elijah Mikaelson lives here.. Do you know where I can find him?"_

Katherine raised her eyebrow. She was surprised that this young girl was looking for Elijah. She suddenly felt an urge of protectiveness over her husband and snapped at the girl, "Who the hell are you? What do you want with my husband?"

The young girl's eyes widened at the older woman's outburst. She suddenly wanted to fly back to where she came from and hide under her bed. _I knew this was a bad idea, _she thought. She knew she had to think of a lie of why she was looking for Elijah.

"Uhm.. I need a lawyer, and I heard he was the best in Mystic Falls.. I'm so sorry to bother you." Her voice was squeaky and she immediately regretted ever opening her mouth. Ever getting on that plane. Ever looking through those files. She realized she wasn't going to get anywhere, so she turned her body and started to walk away.

"Wait." Katherine said. She knew that if there was a time to start being rude, and start being nicer and helping people, now is the time. She knew she was going to regret this, but that didn't stop her from opening her mouth. "Elijah isn't here right now. If you want, you can come back tomorrow to speak to him? Right now he's at The Grill with his siblings-"

"Wait, all of his siblings?"

"Yes.. Anyway, when he gets home, I can tell him he has a meeting tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary!" The girl suddenly knew she _had _to go to The Grill. They were _all _there. Instead of talking to one, maybe all would be better. "Thank you for your help!" And the girl flew down the driveway as fast as the speed of light, down the way she saw a big sign saying The Grill.

Katherine stared at the girl running away in shock. "Okayyyy. That was weird." She wondered what that was all about. Who just comes to someone's door looking for them and then runs away acting all strange and... _Whatever_, she shrugged. _I paused The Hunger Games for this, that girl owes me some oreos. _She closed the door and went back to her chair and continued her quiet night in.

...

"So.. How's the wedding planning coming?" Bonnie asked her friend as they leaned against the counter. The two were working the last shift at The Grill, and well, there weren't many customers remaining, besides the five Mikaelson siblings. The large family didn't seem to need anything, as they were sitting on the other side of the café, talking in hushed voices. Matt and Bonnie had been glancing over at them all night, and while they're sure they've stopped talking about their mother and started talking about random things, the two old friends couldn't help but be worried. When the last of the customers had left, they had quickly cleaned up the place and since they had about 20 minutes before closing time, they decided just to relax behind the bar counter and talk.

Matt laughed. "It's going good. How's Emma?"

"She's great. She's spending the weekend with Jeremy."

Before the conversation could continue, Bonnie's phone started ringing. She pulled out her phone and the called ID said _Elena._

She gave an apologetic look to the blonde before answering the phone.

"Hey, I'm kind of working right now."

"Well, this _cannot _wait. We have a major problem."

"What? What's wrong!?" She worried something had happened to Emma, or Jeremy, or Chris, or even Damon.

"Guess who I bumped into earlier today."

Bonnie's heartrace slowed down. So nothing serious happened. "Who?"

"Kai Parker."

Her heartrace said _gotcha _and started beating harder and harder again.

"_What?"_

"He's back."

"No no no no no. He can't be! He's supposed to be in jail!"

Matt looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. His face showed both confusion and worry. She mouthed _Kai's back. _His eyes widened in fear. His mind went through thoughts like _you've got to be kidding me _and _shit, we've had enough of drama this past few weeks._

"Apparently he got out!"

"Well what the hell is he doing in Mystic Falls?"

"I don't know! All I know is that he's back. And he might be up to something."

"Of course he is. He's Kai!" She sighed. "This is really bad."

"I'm really sorry I'm just telling you now. I didn't know what to say. Damon is trying everything he can to figure out why he's back. For now, the best thing we can do is get a restraining order on him. Damon and Enzo are working on one for you and me right now. But Bonnie.. I'm scared."

"Me too," she agreed. "But that's good about the restraining order."

"Yeah."

"Thank you for telling me. I have to go now, though."

"No problem. Listen Bon.. Please be careful."

"You too. I love you."

"Love you, too. Bye." And then the call ended.

Matt gave his friend a worried look. He lowered his voice, "What the hell was that? Kai's back?"

"I guess so."

"Oh my god."

"I know, this is so bad. As if our lives weren't complicated enough. What's with people coming back into our lives?"

"I mean, Tyler was fine because he's our best friend, but all these other people, it's enough." Matt glanced at the five siblings across the room, who were no longer talking at their table, but instead laughing while playing a game of darts. "What are you going to say to Kol?"

"He doesn't even know anything about my past with Kai."

Matt raised his eyebrow. "He doesn't?"

"Nope, and I'm going to try to keep him in the dark as much as I can."

"Bon, you can't do that. He deserves to know that this psycho is back in town."

"Excuse me?" A voice from behind the counter interrupted the two best friends' conversation.

Matt gave Bonnie a look that said they'll finish this conversation later. He turned to the girl and smiled,  
"How may I help you?" He then gave her a look over and asked, "Aren't you a bit too young to be here so late?"

"Matt, don't give the poor girl the third degree," Bonnie elbowed her friend a little too hard.

"Uhm, I was just looking for Elijah Mikaelson and his siblings," the girl answered.

The music had been changing so there was a silent pause in the almost vacant café. Since the Mikaelsons were now playing darts, which was near the bar, they had heard the girl say she was looking for them. All five heads had turned in that direction, confusion and curiosity shown across their faces.

Bonnie and Matt shared a look of confusion.

Elijah started walking towards the girl. "I'm Elijah Mikaelson," he announced. His siblings were standing behind him, and to be honest they looked like a band of assassins, what with their facial expressions and body language. Not to mention, once they open their mouths, they'll probably scare the poor girl under the table.

The young girl turned to face the siblings. Her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what she was expecting when she met them. She was excited, but at the same time nervous. Her stomach felt all tied up in knots, and she couldn't speak. They looked so much like a close-knit family, a family that would do anything for each other, even when their fights get ugly, in the end they love each other and will believe in each other forever. It made her feel guilty for the news she had to give them.

"Well, no one else is here," Bonnie spoke up after noticing the awkwardness in the room. "Me and Matt are just going to go in the back and order some more.. Things.. Supplies and such."

"But we just got a new order today," Matt pointed out. Bonnie shot her friend a look before grabbing his hand and dragging him to the storage room. "Okay, _ow! _We'll just be in the back!"

That left Elijah, Rebekah, Klaus, Kol, Finn, and the new girl in town. All six of them stared at the amusing exit before them.

Elijah broke out of his trance and turned back to the stranger a few feet away from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." He held out his hand to the small girl.

She stared at his hand for a few milliseconds before realizing she looked like a freak. She shook his hand and introduced herself,  
"I'm Freya."

"Well, that's a lovely name, darling. It still doesn't answer why you're looking for my family," Kol interrupted.

From her place beside her brother, Rebekah gave the other girl a vicious look. She had a feeling deep in the depth of her stomach, and she just knew that this conversation wasn't going to be good.

Freya stared at Rebekah and suddenly felt intimidated. _She looks like she'd bite my head off. _

"Excuse me, love.. Cat got your tongue?" Klaus smirked.

"Excuse my siblings, they have no manners." Finn walked forward from his spot in the back of the bunch. "I'm Finn, the oldest sibling. And the outcast," he said the last part as a joke to add a bit of humor to the awkward situation.

Freya shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, _Finn._"

"I'm Klaus, the middle sibling and the illegitimate bastard child."

"_Niklaus_," Elijah warned.

Kol stepped forward and grabbed the younger girl's hand, and brought it to his lips in his "chivalrous" manner. "Kol," he introduced himself.

The four brothers then turned to their younger sister, expecting her to introduce herself to their _guest. _When she didn't say anything and continued glaring at the teen, Klaus decided to introduce her himself. He stepped a few steps sideways and wrapped his arm around his sister. "This is our _lovely _baby sister, Rebekah. She's a lot more evil than she looks. At least until you get to know her, then she's a precious devil cupcake." Rebekah elbowed her older brother _very _hard.

"I'm sorry if I'm making things.. Weird," Freya said. "I just don't know how to say this."

"Say what?" Elijah asked.

"Exactly who are you?" The only sister finally spoke.

"Well..." Freya lifted her hand to move her hair out of the way, and as her wrist twisted forward, Rebekah's eyes landed on a small six-sided star on the inside of the strange girl's wrist.

"What the hell is that?" Rebekah snapped.

"What?"

Rebekah grabbed the other girl's wrist.

"Rebekah! We don't grab strangers!" Elijah tried to stop his sister from attacking the young girl.

"Look at that star!" Rebekah exclaimed.

"It's a birthmark!" Freya explained. "I was born with it."

"Oh my god," Klaus said when he noticed the star.

Noticing how all five of them stared at her wrist, she started to get a little creeped out. "Okayy.. What's the big deal of a silly birthmark?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the fact that we all have one, too," Kol answered.

"We inherited it from our mother," Finn added. The birthmark was a small six-sided star that was the size of a sunflower seed. Esther's was located on the knuckle of her left index finger. The mark had been passed down to her children. Finn has his above his left ankle. Elijah has his on his left collarbone. Klaus has his on his back, below his right shoulder; he has his tattoo around the birthmark. Kol has his on his right hipbone. Rebekah has hers' on the crease of her right elbow. And finally, Henrik had his on his left knee. And now, Freya has hers' on the inside of her right wrist.

"So it's true," Freya whispered to herself.

"Is _what_ true?" Rebekah growled. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm your sister!" She squealed. The five siblings just stared at her, suddenly they all took a few steps back. Finn now started to see the resemblance between his new-found "sister" and his mother. He noticed she looked more like his mother than Rebekah did. Klaus just stared in awe. The fact that he wasn't the only "bastard child" his mother had, made him feel a whole lot better about himself. Elijah was angry that his mother told another lie, yet again. Where was this girl in her "truth story"? But whatever happened in the past, he vowed to protect this girl from their crazy mother. Kol just couldn't believe a thing that was happening. He just stared at his long lost sister in shock. He started to notice how her nose was kind of shaped like his. Then there was Rebekah; who grew up being the only girl in a family originally filled with six boys. She was the baby sister to four big brothers who adored her. Being the only girl in their lives for over fifteen years, until they all fell in love, and she had a hard time learning to share them with their girlfriends. But she had accepted that they loved their girlfriends/wives differently than they loved her. But now she realized that they had another sister. She couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. They were probably going to spend all their time getting to know her, and protect her, and considering she looked so young, they'd probably start calling her their "actual baby sister." She didn't want to give up her brothers. She did _not _want to share them. She wanted this girl to go back to wherever she came from.

None of them could speak. I mean, what _could _you say to some random teenage girl who shows up and announces she's your long-lost half-sister.

Finally, Elijah opened his mouth. "Wait.. How did you know where to find us- _me?_"

Freya sighed and started her story. "Well.. You see, I'm fourteen years old- I look older than I am_, anyway, _for the first couple of years of my life, my mom was in and out. I spent most of my time with my dad. Then when I was almost two, my mom started hanging around a lot more. But then when I was about six years old, she left again. My dad said something about her choosing her other family over us. I didn't know what that meant, I just knew my mom didn't love me like I thought. I accepted it, because I had my dad. But then.. My dad died a couple of years ago, and since I had no other family, I went into foster care. A few months ago, I realized that no one was going to adopt a teenager, so I decided to look for my mom. My foster mother helped me look through medical records. Apparently, my mom did not want to be found. All I had was her name, and I couldn't do much with that. But then I remembered that she had other children, so I looked through more medical records and found your guys' names. I kind of stalked you guys online and found out you guys lived here- sorry about that. I just knew I had to find you guys. I didn't want to be in the foster system anymore. But there was no way they'd let me go, so I lied and told them that I had a place to go, and for some miraculous reason, they paid for my plane ticket and gave me money to make it out here. I guess there were sick of me, so they were glad they had an excuse to get rid of me. But, I was looking for Elijah first because online it said you were a lawyer so I thought that'd be the best bet, and also because your name came first- you know like E, F, K, N, R, like alphabetically.. Anyway! So I went to your house, and I guess your wife was there- she was kind of rude at first, but then she was really nice- and she said something about how you were all here, and so I couldn't pass that up. And now here I am!"

They just continued staring at her. This story just made them even more confused. But at least they knew that there was more to when Esther left the first time; she had another kid. One who Mikael didn't want to raise.

But when was she pregnant? Fourteen/fifteen years ago, they were all nine/ten/twelve/fourteen/seventeen, all old enough to notice that their mother was pregnant. How did she hide it? They all racked their brains to remember any clues. But all they could recall is that that was when Mikael and Esther fought the most. Right after the truth about Klaus's true paternity came out.

"Listen, I don't know if what you're saying is true," Klaus was the first to speak. "But, promise me you will not seek out our mother. She is not a good person, and we're having to deal with more of her lies and schemes and so many horrible things right now, and whether you're our sister or not, please do not go find her."

"It's really in your best interest to stay away from her," Elijah added.

Freya pouted but nodded anyway. "I understand. I won't go looking for her." She took a deep breath. "But, what I'm saying _is _true. And doesn't this birthmark prove it?" She held up her wrist. "I'm sorry for just barging into your lives. And I hope you know that I'm not expecting anything.. I just wanted to know that I had a family somewhere. And I guess.. I also just wanted answers as to why my mom left me. But I won't go looking for them, if that's what you guys think is best."

No one said anything for a long time.

"Freya? Do you have anywhere to stay?" Elijah gently rested his hand on his.. sister's arm. Rebekah's head snapped up to look at her brother and she knew exactly what was he doing.

The newest member of the "Brady Bunch" slowly shook her head. "I kind of just got here. But I have enough money to rent a hotel room-"

"No need," Elijah said. "You can stay with me."

"Elijah," Rebekah interrupted. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to let our sister out on the streets."

"Who even knows if she's even our sister!"

"It's a pretty convincing story," Kol spoke for the first time in a while. "And she has our birthmark."

"So? She could have drawn it on!"

"I don't think some fourteen year old girl would draw a stupid little star on her wrist just to convince us she's our sister," Klaus said.

"Besides, what would she want with us? Our family is crazy, no one would want to join willingly," Finn added.

"And even if she was a stranger, I'm not going to let her stay in a hotel when she's only fourteen," Elijah finished.

"But-"

"Sister, end of discussion."

"'Lijah-"

"I said, _end of discussion_."

Rebekah scowled and crossed her arms across her chest. Kol chuckled and tried to give his sister a hug but she slapped him away.

"Do you have anything?" Elijah turned his attention to the girl who has been quiet. "Clothing, a bag..?"

Freya shook her head, "I have a small bag, but nothing much." She pointed to the bag she rested on the bar when she first entered The Grill. "They don't let you keep a lot of stuff when you're in foster care."

"Who's in foster care?" Matt asked when he and Bonnie finally joined the dysfunctional family in the front of the café. Rebekah perked up when she saw her fiancé and shot him a huge smile.

"Bonnie, Matt.. This is our sister," Elijah introduced his future brother-in-law and hopefully future sister-in-law to his long-lost sister. "Freya, this is Bonnie and Matt; Bonnie is Kol's girlfriend, and Matt and Rebekah are soon-to-be-married."

"Sister?" Bonnie raised her eyebrow and glanced at her boyfriend.

Kol shrugged, "We just found out about this."

"Well, it's nice to meet you.. Freya?" Matt smiled at the newest member of his future family. Rebekah walked up to him and gave him a look. His eyes said _what? _She rolled her eyes and hugged his side, resting her shoulder in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"I want to go home," Rebekah whispered to her fiancé.

"You guys are getting married?" Freya asked her sister and the blonde boy she was hugging. "That's so cool! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Matt smiled, while Rebekah just glared at her sister. Matt nudged the girl standing beside him and muttered, "Rebekah, be nice."

She faked a smile and said, "Thank you."

"I'd hate to cut this reunion short.." Bonnie interrupted as she walked towards her boyfriend and took his hand in hers. "But, we have to close up, like now."

"You're right, we totally lost track of time. Freya, grab your stuff and we'll head back to my house," Elijah said to the teen. "Now, how am I going to break this to Katherine?"

...

Five minutes later, the last of the party had exited the building and were walking to their car in the almost-empty parking lot.

"I can't believe you have a sister!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"I already had a sister before," Kol pointed out.

"Well, another one. Isn't that exciting?"

"Well.. Not really. Mostly shocking."

The two reached Bonnie's car and they both reached for the driver's door.

"Nuh-uh," Bonnie pushed her boyfriend out of the way. "No way are you driving. Not after last night."

"Come on! You drove me here and I felt like a child!"

"Get in the car, _now_."

"Like that," he reluctantly walked to the other side and climbed in the passenger's seat. Once they were both in the car he said, "I'm sorry about last night. But you can't not let me drive forever."

"Yes, I can." She grinned, "It's my car."

"I didn't even do anything."

"You _almost _did."

"I regret it!"

"Doesn't matter."

Yes, the thing that Kol almost did was get into an accident. He was in a bad mood after the revelations of last night, and Bonnie knew she shouldn't have let him get behind the wheel. The pair had been "having a squabble" on his mother incident, and Kol hadn't seen where he was going and there was a deer in the middle of the road.

_"KOL! Watch out!"_

_Kol turned his head from Bonnie to the road and when he saw the deer he swerved the steering wheel 180 degrees and the tires screeched and the car skidded across the road and came centimeters away from hitting a pole. _

_"Oh my god," Kol stared at his hands. He glanced at Bonnie to make she was okay, but when her head was leaning against the window with her being unresponsive, he started to panic. _

_He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Bonnie? Bonnie! Please, wake up!" What did he do? Please tell him he didn't kill her. _

_This was all his fault. If he wasn't so stubborn and didn't overreact to everything, they wouldn't have been having a _nice argument _and he wouldn't have almost hit the deer and his girlfriend would be okay. _

_"Kol! Stop shaking me!" Bonnie cried. "I'm okay!" She grabbed his hands so he would stop shaking herself and himself. She cupped his face and had him look at her. "Hey, shhh.. I'm okay. Look, I just hit my head. But I'm fine. You're fine. We're fine."_

_He nodded, obviously still traumatized. He started having breathing trouble, he felt a sense of deja vu. "I almost killed you."_

_She shook her head and chuckled, "No you didn't.. I just bumped my head, but nothing happened. The car just spun a few times. Look, I have no bruise or cuts. I'm not bleeding.. Kol, things could have been much worse."_

_"But.. Henrik, is he okay?" Kol couldn't stop the words that came out of his mouth. His mind wasn't in 2014 anymore. He was remembering that day ten years ago. Of course, some things were different back then, like the fact it was his father that was driving._

_"Oh, your brother.." Bonnie said sadly. _

_"Is he okay?"_

_"Kol, you're having a PTSD attack. Henrik isn't here. It's me, Bonnie."_

_"Why isn't he here?" The crack in his voice absolutely broke her heart. "What happened?"_

_She gently rubbed the back of his head. "Honey.. Henrik is dead."_

_"No," he shook his head. His eyes widened. "She killed him! She's back!"_

_"Kol!" Bonnie tried to snap him out of it. "Listen to my voice. It's Bonnie. You love me, and I love you. It's 2014. You play baseball. I have a daughter named Emma, who you love to death, and she loves you like you're her second dad. We live together, you and me. You're one of my best friends. Listen to my voice.. I'm Bonnie, and I love you. You're imagining things. Come back to me, this isn't real."_

_His brown eyes dilated, before shaking his head violently to get the voices out his head. "Bonnie?"_

_She smiled in relief and reach over to hug him. He cradled his head and kissed his forehead. He clung onto her and buried his face in her shoulder. He couldn't believe that happened. What's wrong with him?_

...

Elijah arrived home, with his youngest sister with him. The car ride was incredibly awkward. He had tried to make conversation, but honestly, neither of them knew what to say. But Freya was incredibly grateful that her brother was so nice and offered to take her in. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she's glad he was going to host her while she figured it out.

He took out his key and unlocked the front door and motioned for Freya to stay a few feet behind him while he called his wife.

A few moments later, Katherine came waddling in from the living room. "You're back!" He smiled at how happy she was to see him. Of course, she would never show her excitement if her mood wasn't messed up by her pregnancy hormones.

"Hey, sweetie." He walked over to her and kissed her forehead, while resting his hand on her stomach and gently rubbing it, saying hi to his unborn child. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, good. I love surprises," she said half-sarcastically because she really hates surprises, and half-not- mostly because she was hoping for food.

Elijah motioned for the blonde to move around the corner. Freya shyly waved her hand at the woman she met earlier.

"Her?" Katherine raised her eyebrow. She looked the girl up and down. "She was here earlier, looking for you."

"I know. She met me at The Grill. She's my.. Uh.. Sister."

Katherine coughed. "_Another one?!"_

"I didn't even know she existed until an hour ago."

"Then why is she here?"

"I can't let her go nowhere. She's only fourteen."

Katherine glance at the girl again. She sighed. _I guess I gotta be nice. I can do this. _"I'm sorry I was so rude earlier. I'm Katherine, nice to meet you."

Freya smiled. "I'm Freya. I just want to say thank you for letting me stay here. I don't know many people who would take total strangers in just minutes after meeting them."

Elijah grabbed her bag for her and started showing her to the guest room. "You're no stranger. You're family."

At hearing those words, Freya smiled.

...

Klaus quietly walked into his bedroom, careful not to wake Caroline, or Henry. With the dim light on, he saw that his angel was curled up peacefully in their bed, and the dog was sleeping at the foot of the bed, guarding his love. He smiled at the sight.

But then he banged his foot and he started cursing, causing Henry to jump up and start barking, which incidentally woke up Caroline.

"Klaus?" She groggily said, rubbing her eyes and starting to sit up. She glanced at the clock, "It's eleven o'clock."

"Sweetheart, go back to bed. I just got in, I'll be to bed shortly." He scratched behind the puppy's ear because he knew the dog wouldn't rest until he greeted him. Surely enough, once he greeted the pup, Henry curled back into a ball at Caroline's feet and went back to sleep.

"Okay." She leaned back onto her pillows. "How was your dinner with your family?"

"Fine." He decided not to tell her about Freya until the morning. She was probably half-asleep and wouldn't remember half of what he said anyway. But he will tell her everything when they wake up tomorrow, because she's just going to ask again.

"What did you guys decide?"

"Well.. We knew that one of us had to talk to her."

"Oh no."

"Finn volunteered to go talk to her."

"Isn't that kind of.. Well, bad? Didn't he used to be.."

"A momma's-boy? Yes, yes, he was. But Kol and Elijah are too angry to go, and Rebekah has so much to deal with, and frankly, I just don't want to go. Finn swore that he hates her as much as we do, and he's not going to choose her over us. I believe in him to do this. He's going to talk to her sometime this week. He's just going to ask her some things, and then tell her to leave."

By this point, Klaus was done getting into his bed-wear. He lifted off the sheets and climbed into bed. He glanced down at his girlfriend and noticed her chest rising and falling at a steady pace, her eyes closed, and a quiet noise exhaling from her nose. He chuckled; he knew she was going to fall asleep. He'll just retell her everything in the morning when he tells her about his long-lost sister.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He then smiled as he remembered the moment he met at her, and declares that as the best moment of his life. Because if it wasn't for that moment, then all the rest of his favorite moments wouldn't have happened. He's glad he has her. Someone to talk to. Someone to love.

_October 2009, Whittemore College_

_Klaus was at one of the many college parties silly American teenagers throw. He did not want to go, but his roommate and new friend Stefan Salvatore told him he had to come to this one. It was Halloween, and he couldn't stay home on the funnest night of the year. Especially considering he was pretty scary, according to Stefan. _

_But of course, he was ditched as soon as they arrived. He found himself at the snack table, stealing bites of the food. He saw a cooler of alcohol and sighed. He hated that thing, but at the same time loved the taste of it. But he doesn't get drunk at parties. That's not him. That's his father, and he's never going to be like him._

_"Klaus!" Stefan grinned as he came up to his roommate. "I have someone I want you to meet!"_

_He gestered to this tall, beautiful blonde with the saddest blue eyes he had ever seen. Klaus's heart skipped a beat when his eyes landed on the beauty. There was something about her._

_"Klaus Mikaelson.. Caroline Forbes."_

_The girl, Caroline, gave Klaus a small smile. "Hey."_

_It was just one word but all Klaus heard was a choir of angels. _

_"Is he okay? He's just staring at me," Caroline whispered to her best friend._

_"Yeah, he's just uptight about parties."_

_Klaus shook his head, "I'm so sorry, love. It's just.. You're so beautiful. You took my breath away."_

_Caroline laughed, "Oh my god, you're so sweet!" _

_"And you're beautiful."_

_"Are you going to keep saying that?"_

_"Maybe."_

_"You're ridiculous."_

_"Well, I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone to talk," Stefan announced while he went to join the party._

_Caroline didn't want Stefan to go. Sure, Klaus was nice, but she didn't want her best friend to leave her alone with a stranger. _

_She turned to him, "Well.. Thank you for making me smile for the first time in a while."_

_"Oh, what happened?"_

_She shrugged. "Bad breakup. You know how those go."_

_He shook his head. "No, not really."_

_"Oh."_

_Klaus smirked, "Would you care to dance?"_

_"How do I know you're not a serial killer or something?"_

_"There's always that possibility! I could be an evil vampire for all you know, preying on innocent, lonely, heartbroken girls. But you'll never know unless you give me a chance."_

_She smiled. "Okay. One dance. But that's it."_

_"That's all I ask." She laughed and took his hand as he led her out to the dance floor. Okay, maybe this party wasn't such a bad idea after all, he thought._

_So, they danced. Nothing else happened, though. Except for the fact that Klaus fell head over heals in love with her. But, Caroline just wasn't ready for a relationship. He respected that, and they became good friends. Although, he did flirt with her a bit here and there. And she though he was cruel and ridiculous. He treated most of her friends, mostly Elena and Damon, horribly. But he was so sweet with her. It was frustrating. She didn't want to fall in love with him. He was her friend, but she hated him at times. _

_She hated him the most when he drew her this picture of her and a horse, her favorite animal. He just wasn't making this easy. _

_She went over to his dorm to yell at him for being so romantic and stupid and sexy, but all that really happened is that she saw more of his art and then he explained to her why he loved her. Yes, love. She only left his dorm speechless, and deeply in love with him. She avoided him for weeks. _

_But when they bumped into each other in the courtyard.. The tension was too much. They couldn't pretend that they didn't feel anything. He promised that he'd leave her alone, if that is what she really wanted. When she didn't answer, he turned to leave, but she made up her mind about what she wanted. "Wait." He turned around and raised his eyebrow._

_"You want to know what I want?"_

_He nodded._

_She took a deep breath. God, this was hard. She was never this nervous about a guy. Not about Tyler. Not Matt. Not even Damon or Stefan. She knew this relationship was all or nothing. And well, she decided to take a leap of faith. So, she kissed him. A slow, gentle kiss, but the kiss that started everything. They both broke away from the kiss with huge smiles on their faces. He then kissed her again, and the ended up making out against a tree. _

_But before things got heated, the sprinklers came on and they got soaked. What a lovely metaphor. They broke out laughing._

_"I uh.. Got to get to class," she blushed. _

_"I'll see you around?" He smiled._

_She grinned and flipped her hair. "Of course." She kissed his cheek before running off._

_And then they lived happily ever after. Or, well. Sort of. _

* * *

**So you guys got your Klaroline meeting! I hope you guys liked it :)**

**So what do you guys think about Freya? Do you trust her? And do you guys think Rebekah is overreacting, feeling territorial over her brothers? Will she get used to her sister? And what do you think will happened with Finn and Esther next chapter? What will happened when Abby comes to town? Why does she hate Kol? **

**And what did you guys think of Kol's PTSD attack? I don't even know where that came from tbh. And yes, the car accident is the thing Kol did! I bet you guys weren't expecting that.**

**Finally, what is up with Kai? What's his past with Bonnie? Damon and Elena? Why is he back?**

**Please review! xx **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I have yet another snow day today. I haven't been to school in like a week. This snow is ridiculous, I went outside yesterday and the snow piles were higher than me!**

**Anyway.. I've been slacking with writing this chapter but it's finally here! **

**BTW spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the Vampire Diaries 6x12: I am so upset that Luke died :( he died a hero, and this fandom is really disrespectful -_-**

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.**

* * *

"KOL!" Bonnie screamed and hit her boyfriend with a pillow.

"Whaaattt?" he groaned and turned over so he was sleeping on his stomach.

It was almost 10 in the morning, and Kol was still fast asleep. A week has passed since the discovery of Freya, and today was the day that Abby Bennett was visiting Mystic Falls. She was coming to the condo at 10:30, and Bonnie wanted everything perfect for her mother. That includes not having her lazy boyfriend be sleeping the entire morning.

"My mother is coming in half an hour!"

"So?"

"You can't be asleep."

"Let her see me like this, I don't care! She already hates me anyway!"

Bonnie groaned in frustration and hit him with her pillow again. "I am giving you one last warning before I drag your ass out of bed myself."

"Oh, I'm so scared," he said in a drowsy, yet very noticeably sarcastic voice.

"KOL!"

"The only thing I'm scared of is my sister when no one pays attention to her or she doesn't get her way. And Klaus when he gets pissed off, mostly at pranks I pull, but hey they're all fun and games until someone loses a finger."

"If you don't wake up, you'll lose a finger."

"But I'm already awake, darling."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and collapsed sideways on the bed. "I hate you," she muttered.

Kol chuckled, "Sure you do."

"You're so annoying sometimes."

"But you love me," he said cockily.

"Yeah, yeah." She waved her hand dramatically, but he smiled. She turned her head towards him, "Are you going to get up? Like, ever?"

He pretended to think about it. "Maybe."

She sighed. "You're impossible."

"Hey, while we're talking about the impossible.." He sat up which made Bonnie hopeful he'll actually get up. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She nodded, "Of course."

"So.. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Bonnie shrugged. She didn't want to tell him about the Kai thing. "Nope," she said, popping the 'p.'

"You sure?" She nodded. "That's funny.. Because why did I find a restraining order against _Malakai Parker _hidden under your school papers?"

Now she sat up. "You went through my stuff?"

"No. It just happened to come across my eyes when I was snooping."

"Why were you going through my stuff?"

"Habit."

"You're a jerk."

"I know," he shrugged. "But who is he?"

"I.. Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"It's not my secret to tell."

"Then whose is it?"

"Damon and Elena's."

"Then why do _you_ need a restraining order?"

"_God,_ do I have to tell you everything?!" she snapped. He was taken by surprise at her outburst.

"Bonnie, I'm sorry.. I was just worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

"You know, I tell you everything-"

"Oh yeah, the first year I knew you you were _so _honest about your upbringing."

"_That's not fair_."

"Whatever." She got off the bed and walked out of the bedroom.

"Bonnie!" Kol exclaimed, following her out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. When she didn't answer him, he tried apologizing again. "I'm sorry."

She huffed.

"Whenever you want to talk to me, you can. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. But if you're fine, I'll believe you. I just want you to be safe. A restraining order is a big deal."

She sighed. "I know."

"That's all you have to say?" He raised an eyebrow.

She turned to face him. "What do you want me to say, Kol?"

He glanced at the window and saw a car pull into the parking lot. He sighed. He knew exactly who that was. He smirked slightly when he knew just the thing to piss this person off. When they come to the door, they'll be able to see into the kitchen. His eyes looked back to his girlfriend, who looked all beautiful even when she's angry at him. "That you love me?" He decided to play the apologetic boyfriend card a little longer. She'll tell him eventually.. right?

Bonnie rolled her eyes but walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hooking her hands together behind his neck. "I love you."

He grinned. "That's all I needed to hear." He leaned down to connect his lips to hers. She smiled into the kiss, and her hands moved upwards to grip his hair. His hands caressed her face, but then dropped one to her hip, pulling her closer. He lifted his lips off her mouth and started leaving a trail of kisses down her jaw and neck. He then grabbed her ass and lifted her onto the counter, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. While he was attacking her neck, definitely sure to leave a mark, she reached down and fingered the hem of his shirt, wanting desperately to tear it off. She decided to tease him a bit and her fingers went under the shirt, delicately grazing his toned abs-

But of course someone had to knock at the door.

They broke away from the kiss reluctantly. Kol smirked because he knew exactly who caught them, but Bonnie was mortified when she looked over his shoulder and saw her mom standing on the other side of the door, glaring at the couple making out against the counter.

"Mom!" She cried and pushed Kol away, jumping off the counter. She ran to the door and opened it for her mother. "You're early!" She motioned for her mom to come in.

"Well, thank goodness I arrived right now or else you two would have christened the counter top," Abby said as she walked in the condo, shooting a look at her daughter's boyfriend.

"Who says we didn't already?" Kol was enjoying this. If he couldn't get her to like him, well.. He could just play even dirtier. He loves getting under people's skins, and boy does he get under Abby Bennett's. He knows he's going to have a blast torturing her.

"KOL!" Bonnie's eyes widened.

"That's the third time she's said that today, exactly in the way you fear."

Abby continued staring at the young man, mortified.

"He's lying! I was yelling at him to get out of bed. He's incredibly lazy," Bonnie defended herself. She gave Kol the dirtiest look she could muster. She was _pissed. _

"That's not what you said last night," he sang. Bonnie's eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. She knows that they _did _do a few things last night... But her mom doesn't need to know that!

"Enough," Abby snapped at Kol. "You keep giving me reasons not to like you."

Kol shrugged. "Like I care what you think."

"Kol!" Bonnie cried, yet again. _This is a disaster, _she thought. "Stop it, both of you."

"I didn't do anything," Abby said vindictively.

"Well, you were about to!" Bonnie said. She sighed.

She noticed the looks her mother and boyfriend were giving each other and she just knew this was going to be a long day.

...

Sage glanced at her husband who was sitting on the chair in their living room with a book in his lap, although he was not reading it. He was looking out the window, mesmerized by the light rain falling from the sky.

She sighed. She knew the whole thing with his mom had been on his mind for over a week, and she was worried about him. He used to have such a great relationship with her, and it must hurt him with everything happening.

She walked over to where he was and sat on the arm rest. She assuringly rested her hand against his shoulder.

"I think you should go.." she said in a low voice.

He looked up at her. He knew what she meant. To go talk to his mother. It had been a week since he was supposed to go talk to her, but he had avoided going. Claiming he had a lot of people in trouble, and of course being a paramedic was filled with busy schedules so his siblings understood. But this was eating away at him. He owed this to his siblings, to himself.

But he was scared.

No, not of his mother. But of himself. It was only because he was worried of the lies she would come up with, and he was worried he'd believe her. He never knew what to believe, especially when it came to Esther. Even though he was the oldest, he never really set the best example; that was Elijah, not like the other three followed in his footsteps anyway.

"I know."

Sage leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. "I can go with you if you want," she suggested.

He shook his head. "No. Someone needs to stay with Tate," he nodded at the toddler who was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, attempting the building blocks.

She nodded in agreement. "Do you know what you're going to say?" Sage wasn't the most supportive person of this plan. She _did not_ like Esther. She didn't trust her. Sage knew a thing or two with growing up with toxic parents, and she didn't grow up with the most love in the world. She kept to herself for years. She used to believe love was just a story people told themselves to make them feel better.

She was proven wrong.

Still, the only people she's ever loved are her husband and son, and even the man she kisses everyday took a while. She was not going to lose her family.

"Yeah.. I think I do." Finn suddenly got this burst of courage to talk to his mother. He knew what he had to say and he had to do it immediately. "I have to go."

"_Now?_"

"Yes." He was already putting his coat and shoes on.

"But-"

He shushed her by caressing her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. And then he quickly moved to kiss his son's hair. Tate looked up at his father and grinned a toothless smile. It makes Finn incredibly happy how much his son loves him; he had a better relationship with his son in two years than he did with his father in twenty-four. He started walking to the front door again when his wife's voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Sage cried. She walked up to him and held his face in her hands. "I love you. Be careful." _Don't fall for her manipulative tricks, _she added in her head, but she was sure he read between the lines. He nodded and she gently kissed him.

Twenty minutes later he arrived at the motel outside the border of Mystic Falls she was staying at. He went to the front desk and asked for the room Esther Mikaelson was staying in.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. She checked out two days ago. She said she was going into.." the receptionist looked through the files again and said, "Mystic Home."

Finn blinked. Mystic Home? That was a nursing home for, well the elderly, and also sick patients. She did say she was sick, and apparently that was the truth. Or she'll just go to extremes to prove her lies. He sighed. Did she really have to go to one _in _Mystic Falls? That woman just doesn't know her boundaries.

That didn't stop Finn from driving there anyway. When he arrived, he stood outside the building, dazed for a few moments, wondering if he should even go in there.

No. He made up his mind and he was going to talk to her. She needed to know how much she hurt him. How much she hurt his siblings. How much she hurt the people around her. It wasn't fair.

"Hello.." He got the attention of the woman behind the front desk. "My mother checked in the other day, and I was wondering if you could tell me what room she was in?"

"Oh, yes. Just give me a-"

"Finn?" a voice from the doorway to the sitting area asked. The tone of her voice was.. Hopeful.

He turned around and saw his mother standing there. Her face had a huge smile on it.

"Is that your mother, sir? I think you can follow her. Just sign in, please." Finn glanced away from his mother and quickly signed in like the receptionist suggested he do.

Then he followed his mother up to the second floor and to her room so they could talk. He didn't say a word until they got to her room. He didn't want to cause a scene or say what he had to say in front of people, so he thought it'd be best to talk to her in private. Thankfully, she didn't have a roommate yet.

She invited him in and offered him some tea, which he declined her offer. She told him to sit, and he took the seat on the chair. She asked how Sage and Tate were doing, but he didn't answer.

Esther sighed. "Finn." He looked up from the floor to her. "You came here for a reason. Just talk to me."

"I should hate you," was the first thing he said. "I want to hate you."

She looked down at the floor in regret. She knew she hurt her family, and she regretted everything she had ever done. But it was too late, she couldn't change anything. The only thing she could do was try to make things right, but nobody was letting her.

"You know what's funny?" he asked. She looked at him curiously. "When I was a kid... You and Mikael were really happy. I remember looking at you guys, so in love, and proud that I was your son. But everything changed. _You changed. _Mikael became abusive and went back to drinking.. And you left. I-I.. I'm.. I'm not blaming my siblings, because them being born is nothing they could control. Niklaus's paternity was not his fault. Mikael's reaction was not Nik's fault. It was yours. Before Klaus broke his leg that day and had to get the test... We were a happy family. We were a _family _once. But we got stuck with bad parents who kept choosing themselves over their kids. Everything that you told us last month? How much of that was real?"

"All of it-"

"No. You didn't tell us about Henrik, instead you let us hear it from our little brother who was thirteen when he saw it and has been emotionally scarred since!"

"I didn't want you to think any differently of me. Like you said, we were a family once, and we could be again."

"I know about Freya."

Esther's eyes closed. She was surprised they knew. But mostly, she was ashamed. Ashamed at the mistakes she made with her little girl too. If she could do everything differently, she would have.

"We all do. She found _us. _Not you."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about her. It was just.. I regretted leaving her. I abandoned her. Just like I did you guys.. And it hurt. I didn't tell you she existed because well, I didn't think I could handle it. I didn't want you to think more badly of me."

"That's just the thing, mother. You _are_ a bad person. In your story, you tried to make yourself the victim. And maybe, to certain degrees, you were. With our.. Father, you were a victim. But with us? You're the bad guy. Both you and father are the villains in our lives."

"I'm so sorry. If I could change anything, I'd do everything over. I'd be a better mother. I'd get your father arrested the minute he started abusing Niklaus. I'd get Klaus in touch with his father. I'd stay in Freya's life. I wouldn't have meddled with Kol's girlfriend. I wouldn't have.. Suffocated Henrik. I wouldn't have moved you guys here.. I wouldn't have.."

"Stop. Just.. Stop."

"Finn-"

"I'm actually glad you moved us here. We all are. We met our real family here. I met Sage. Elijah met Katherine. Klaus met Caroline and Stefan. Kol met Bonnie and Jeremy and Emma. Rebekah met Matt.. I mean, we made a pretty nice life here. And while I'm sure Rebekah misses Hayley, and Kol misses Kaleb and Davina, and Klaus misses Marcel and Camille, and Elijah misses Tatia.. I'm sure they don't hate the fact that you moved them to new people who love them just the same." He took a breath when realization hit him. "Wait, did you say you knew who Klaus's biological father is?"

Esther sighed and stared at the wall. "I do. I told Klaus I didn't remember because I didn't want him to get hurt."

"Get hurt? Why would he get hurt?"

"Because Ansel is dead. He died around the time Klaus turned eight. He so desperately wanted to get to know his son, but I wouldn't let him. It's my fault Klaus got pushed around Mikael, and I'm sorry-"

"Don't tell that to me. Tell that to Niklaus."

"He won't talk to me." She gave a sad smile- it wasn't even a smile, more of a pout. "None of them will."

"I came because we agreed that one of us need to talk to you. And you're right with the fact that none of them want to do any talking."

"Why did you come?"

"I needed answers, but I don't think I can trust anything you say."

"Finn.. You're my son, and I love you."

"I know. I think that's your problem... You can't be hanging around Mystic Falls. I came here to tell you to leave."

...

Damon grinned as he walked in the police station and walked towards the sheriff's office. He knocked on Liz's door before turning the knob and barging in. "I think I got a lead on the Miller and Karnstein case!"

Liz looked up from behind her desk. She gave Damon a tired smile. "First, you wait for me to say 'come in' after you knock; and second, that's great! I think I can trust you and Enzo to do whatever you guys need to do."

He ignored the part of her leaving a case to him and Enzo, "For the millionth time, I think we all know how many girls just dream of me walking through their door," he joked.

Liz rolled her eyes but was still able to muster up a smile. "Am I going to regret making you my second in command after Mike left?"

"You've been asking yourself that question for the past six months, and the answer is forever going to be no."

"Well, being forever my deputy, will you be a friend and go get some coffee and donuts. I'm starved."

Damon chuckled, "Living up to those stereotypes now, are we?"

Liz waved her hand. "Oh, just go!"

Damon muttered, "Yeah, yeah, I'm going," as he hurried out of the station. As he started walking down the streets to The Grill, he saw someone he never thought would show their faces in town again, laughing with some stupid delinquents.

Anger flared up in Damon and he couldn't help it before he marched up to the group of kids and grabbed the one he knew and slammed him against a wall.

"Woah, easy there, buddy!" Kai smirked. "Wouldn't want to lose your job over attacking someone innocent." Even when his head is being clung to the brick wall, he still manages to get right into acting cocky and sarcastic.

Damon hates him.

"First of all, beating the crap out of you would be _so worth it; _and you know you're not innocent so if you want to keep that pretty face of yours, you might want to tell me what the _hell_ you're doing back here!"

"Let me go, and maybe I'll talk."

"No chance in hell." Damon choked Kai a little more. He looked behind him and noticed that the guys Kai was talking to before had fled. He was now the one to smirk, "Your little friends don't seem to care about you. No one cares about you, _buddy."_

"Come on, Damon. Why you gotta hate me so much?" Kai was struggling to talk, but he was still laughing at the situation.

Damon rolled his eyes, "You _ruined my life!_"

"It seems like you have a pretty good life, to me." Kai pushed Damon off him. "A beautiful wife, a kid, a job, friends. Me? I have _nothing!_ My family disowned me after I went to jail. Called me an abomination-"

"Aww, that must have really hurt your feelings-"

"It did-"

"You should have thought of that before you became a fucking psychopath."

"Oh, Damon." Kai shook his head and chuckled. "How I missed you yelling at me. Truly, you're a joy."

"Why are you here?"

"I missed the scenery." Kai shrugged and gestured around to the trees. "It's really beautiful down here."

"Yeah, well, you'll have to watch where you go from now on."

"Oh, is that a threat?"

Damon smirked, "Not exactly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kai raised his eyebrow.

"I put a restraining order on you for Bonnie and Elena."

"You did _what_ now?"

"Why do you even care? You tried to kill them the last you were here."

"And other things." Kai smiled at the memory.

Damon gagged. "You're sick."

Kai rolled his eyes and started walking away from the deputy. "I got to run now, it was nice running into you." He waved his fingers, his ring glimmering in the sun.

"You just stay the hell away from my family!" Damon shouted. And yes, Bonnie is part of his family. Damon swore he was going to keep everyone he cared about (and then some) away from that psychopath if it is the last thing he does.

...

"Katherine?!" Caroline called as she entered the Mikaelson-Pierce household. She was paying the pregnant woman a visit because of something that came up with Elena, someone they both cared about. (Yes, the Kai thing and she figured she should warn the girl who looks just like someone a psychopath hates.) "The door was open, so I just let myself in, I hope that's okay." Caroline continued walking down the hallway until she reached the kitchen. The refrigerator was open so she figured Katherine was behind it, giving into all her pregnancy cravings. But when the door closed, it wasn't Katherine standing there.

Caroline jumped up, surprised. "Oh my god, I thought you were Katherine!"

Freya yelped, startled from seeing a strange person standing in the kichen. She took her earphones out and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't hear you!" Then she realized that there was a stranger standing in her brother's house, and suddenly got scared and defensive.

Caroline squealed, "Oh my god! You must be the long-lost sister!"

Freya slowly nodded. "Yes.. That'd be me," she laughed awkwardly. "Who are you?"

The older blonde shook her head in embarrassment. "I'm Caroline, Klaus's girlfriend. Sorry for the startle, and probably making you think there was a robber or something," she laughed and Freya could see why Klaus loved her. She was really pretty, and her smile was contagious. Plus, she seemed incredibly sweet.

"Ohhh, well it's nice to meet you!" Freya grinned.

"Yeah, you too." Caroline shot the young girl a smile. "It must be pretty crazy, being thrown into such a big family so suddenly?"

Freya nodded. "Yeah, but my brothers are great. They've all been so kind, especially Elijah. Rebekah on the other hand..."

"Is a bitch?"

Freya stared at the tall girl for a second before giving in and nodding. "Yeah.. I mean, I'm sure she's just.. I don't know. She hasn't talked to me at all and when she does, she's all rude and defensive and ugh. I thought having a sister was supposed to be fun!"

"Well when Katherine met her long lost sister, they didn't get along that well at first either."

"Katherine has a sister?"

"Yeah, they're twins. Her name is Elena and she's my best friend. Katherine pretends she doesn't like 'Lena, but deep down I know she loves her. And I'm sure Rebekah will come around. She just has a hard time trusting people.. She's really mean to people at first, but once you get to know her, you'll learn to love that about her."

"So, she doesn't get nicer?" Freya asked.

Caroline shook her head and laughed. "Kind of."

"Well, that makes me feel better." Freya laughed.

"So.. How do you like living with Katherine and Elijah?"

"It's nice. Their house is so big. I sometimes still get lost."

Caroline laughed, "Yeah. That's the perks of living with a lawyer and a fashion designer slash model. Speaking of the devil.. Do you know where Katherine is?"

"Oh, she went to the grocery store. Something about new preggo cravings."

Caroline nodded. "Well, I hate to cut this lovely talk short, but I have to run. Uhm, please tell Katherine to call me: it's urgent. Or well, call Elena or Damon, actually."

"Oh, what for? Is everything all right?"

Caroline sighed and shook her head. "Just tell her that Kai is back."

"Who's Kai?"

"Someone very _very _bad."

Freya's eyes widened and she wondered what kind of stuff goes on in this town.

"I'll tell her."

The older blonde sent the younger girl a smile. "Thank you. Well, it was nice meeting you! You should come hang out with me and Nik someday. I'd love to get to know you."

The shorter blonde nodded eagerly. "I'd love that! Nice meeting you too."

Caroline waved before she turned down the hallway and exited the Mikaelson-Pierce household.

...

Jenna looked at the positive pregnancy test she held in her hands, and struggled to hold in her squeals. She was so worried that something was wrong because she couldn't get pregnant. _But she was. _Nothing was wrong. Everything is perfect. Her and Ric are in a loving relationship and they've been really happy lately. And they both have stable careers so they don't have to worry about that stuff.

And plus, babies are just too cute. Seeing Christian and Emma running around, and now Katherine is having a baby, it made her feel left out. The fact that her nieces and nephew were parents before her. But now.. She was having a baby with her husband and she couldn't be happier.

"Jenna?" Alaric called as he entered their apartment. "Where are you? I'm home."

She giggled and unlatched the bathroom door, strolling into the kitchen where Alaric was pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

"Why're you laughing? Did Damon call you?" He was referring to when he met up with Damon this morning and he fell down the stairs after Damon tripped him. The Salvatore brother thought it was hilarious, but Ric just wanted to punch his friend (harmlessly, of course).

She shook her head. "Whatever Damon did, it can wait. I have some exciting news to tell you!"

"You heard?" He started smiling.

Her smile, on the other hand, faded. "Heard what?"

"I won't be teaching at the high school anymore! I got a job offer as a cult professor at Whitmore."

"You what? But the college is like an hour away.."

"So?"

"Soo.." She took a breath and placed the test she held behind her back on the counter.

Alaric stared at the test in shock for a few moments. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He was going to be a father.

"Is that..?"

"Yes." Jenna nodded, and bit her lip from laughing or crying, or both.

He finally averted his gaze from the test to look at his wife. A huge smile then broke out on his face. He ran to the other side of the counter and picked her up, spinning her around.

She started laughing, and when he finally set her down, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "So, you're happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be happy? We're having a baby!" They both laughed before closing the space between their lips.

...

Rebekah grinned when she saw her brother walk out the doors holding their coffees. He handed her the cup and she took it gratefully.

"Thank you, I've been needing coffee all day."

Klaus chuckled. "Gotta get Beks her caffeine or else all hell breaks loose."

Rebekah nodded and bumped her older brother's hip. "That's right."

The pair of siblings started walking down the streets of Mystic Falls, talking about random things.

"We haven't done this in a while." The younger blonde sighed. "I've missed you," she pouted.

Klaus threw his arm around his little sister. "You can visit me, you know that right?"

She nodded. "I know.. I've just been so busy. With wedding planning and everything.. And now all this crap with mother and Freya, and fucking our lives are screwed up."

"Hey, we're dysfunctional but at least we're fun."

She rolled her eyes and nodded her head dramatically.

"So.. Speaking of our.. _New sister_," Klaus tried out the words on his tongue. "What do you think of her?"

Rebekah turned her head to glare at her older brother. "You _know _how I feel. I want her to go flying into a black hole."

He broke out laughing. "Oh, well at least I'm still your favorite half sibling!"

She scoffed. "Don't compare yourself to her. You're our brother. There's nothing half about it."

He nudged her. "Why won't you give her a chance?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I don't know." She didn't know what else to say. She couldn't tell him the _truth. _That requires a heartfelt conversation and she just doesn't do that. "If I talk to her, I'd have to talk about stuff about me, and I don't really want the attention."

"Did I just hear you correctly?" Klaus joked. "_You _don't want attention? Am I talking to the same girl who used to make the entire family clap when she tied her shoes!" He broke out laughing, once again.

"Shut up!" Rebekah hit her brother's shoulder, which only made him laugh harder.

"Come on, thanks for the laugh, but seriously. Why don't you like her? She's really nice. She reminds me of you when you were that age.." Rebekah growled, hating her even more. Klaus noticed the scowl and decided to get a rise out of the small bubble of anger. "_Except, _she's not on the verge of becoming a huge bitch and sleeping with every guy who makes eye contact w-"

Rebekah hit his shoulder again. "Hey! You're such a dick!"

He shrugged. "I know."

She looked out at the cars driving up and down the street. She then turned her attention back to her brother. "I wasn't _that _big of a slut."

Klaus laughed. "If you're one, then what were Kol and I?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're the douchebag, he's the asshole."

"And you're the bitch."

"Aww, what the perfect team we make: the Three Musketeers of Terror."

"I like that name. Too bad we're all grown up and _mature _now," he shuddered when he remembered all the _responsibility _he has to get back to.

Rebekah laughed. "True." She then go idea. "You're right, we're _way_ to old for this-" She quickly opened her coffee cup and spilled what was left of it on the taller blonde's head.

For a second, Klaus was in shock over what just happened. But when he processed that he was drenched in a caramel mocha (which doesn't taste as good as you'd think), he glared at his sister. "I am. Going. To kill. You."

She laughed and grabbed his cup, throwing it on the ground. "You're going to have to catch me first!" She started cackling as she ran down the street, away from him.

"Get back here, you little brat!" He yelled as he followed her through the crowd of people.

...

"Hey Lexi!" Tyler yelled as he ran up to meet her in her dorm hallway. Lexi was still staying in her dorm, because well, she didn't have anywhere else to go for the summer. Her parents lived all the way in Miami, and she's learned to love it in the area in Virginia, and plus this is where all her friends were. Stefan always offered to let her stay with him, which is where she was heading right now. Tyler caught her at just the right time.

"What do you want, Tyler?" Lexi scoffed as she moved her duffle bag higher up on her shoulder. "How'd you know where I was?"

"Lucky guess." He shrugged.

Lexi just continued walking and entered the elevator. Unfortunately, Tyler snuck in there with her.

"I just have a question for you, and then I'll leave you alone."

She sighed and turned to face him. "Okay. Shoot."

"Whose your roommate?"

Her eyes widened. That was not what she thought he'd ask.

"Uhm.. Her name is Liv. She's studying psychology, next fall she'll be starting her last year in getting her master's degree. Why?"

"I ran into her at the park the other day.. And I just can't stop thinking about her."

Lexi laughed. "Oh, wow. Does someone have a crush?" she teased.

"What? No! I just.. I wanted to talk to her."

"Well, you just missed her."

"What do you mean?"

"She had to go back to Portland to talk with her father.. A family crisis. Something about her brother being let out of jail."

Tyler froze. "Wait.. Her last name is Parker, right?"

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, did she tell you that?"

"Lexi.. Were you here for the whole Kai thing?"

The dots finally collected in the blonde's mind. "Oh shit."

* * *

**Ooh, Liv is Kai's sister.. How will that turn out? And Jenna's pregnant! A little something for us Jalaric shippers because it's been like what, five years? :(**

**What will happen with Abby? Will she and Kol ever get along? And Esther? Will she leave town?**

**And I hope you guys liked the Klebekah moment! And Caroline meeting Freya :) I wasn't going to have no chapter without Caroline: the last time I did that, I had like three people upset, so Care Bear will always be here :)**

**Please review! Do you guys think I could get five for this chapter?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's been a couple of weeks, I just didn't know what to write. I have a ton of storylines planned, but I don't know how I could fit them all in right now. I kind of want to skip a few months ahead, but I need to wrap up the Kai story first. Speaking of Kai.. We will get a couple flashbacks that will start to explain what he's done.**

**Oh and I feel like the Finn/Kol scene is very ironic considering what happens in The Originals. I won't spoil anything for those of you who don't watch it but just know that I AM VERY UPSET AND ANGRY I WANT TO PUNCH SOMETHING. I have anger issues, I apologize. **

**So, without further ado..**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything except the plotlines. Everything, unfortunately, belongs to Julie Plague and everyone who has anything to do with ruining my hopes and dreams. **

* * *

"Oh, you beautiful, wonderful man!" Kol shouted with glee into the phone.

He could hear his oldest brother laugh from the other line.

"No, but seriously. How'd you do it?" Kol asked.

_"It wasn't easy. And I didn't make that much progress, but I got her out of Mystic Falls. She did transfer to a sick home fifteen miles away from here, though. She knows it's impossible, but she wants to be close in case something happens. Just in case someone wants to forgive her or whatever," _Finn explained. Kol was too worked up in his glee to hear that his brother's voice was hiding something from him. The meeting with their mother went differently than Finn wants his siblings to believe.

"It doesn't matter. She's gone! And the home won't let her out without being signed out, and none of us will sign her out. You did it, brother! We're free!"

Finn gave a sad smile from his line. _"Kol. You can't be that happy.. I mean, she's dying. She has cancer."_

"Karma caught up to her," Kol shrugged.

_"Brother."_

"Oh, fine. I'm sorry she's sick and all, but she can't do any more damage from inside those walls. Excuse me for being happy. Our lives can somewhat go back to normal."

_"What are you going to do when she dies? She is our mother, and no matter how bad she was at it, she at least deserves a goodbye."_

"We'll think of something when the time comes."

_"She may be out of town, but she's not out of our lives. Not for good, anyway."_

"Yeah, yeah. I got that."

There was a moment of silence.

_"Oh no."_

"What?" Kol could hear a huge crash from his older brother's side of the call.

_"Tate! Come on!"_

The younger Mikaelson brother let out a laugh. "Uh oh! What did my favorite little rascal do?"

_"I got to go, Kol. I'll see you later."_

Before Kol could say "bye," Finn already hung up the phone.

"Was that your brother?" Bonnie asked. She was leaning over the counter, and had been there for several minutes. She wasn't _eavesdropping, _she just happened to overhear a few things.

"No, it was Taylor Swift," he said sarcastically. "She wrote a song about my mother so the witch had to go into hiding. It's called _ding dong the witch is dead_!"

Bonnie laughed. "Well, at least you won't have to see her." She rested her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

Kol nodded. "Of course I am." Bonnie gave him a small smile.

"I meant with _my _mom." Abby had left about twenty minutes ago, and the day spent with the young couple did not go so smoothly, thanks to the courtesy of Kol and his mission of making his girlfriend's mother's skin crawl. To say the least, he was winning.

Kol just laughed and clapped his hands together.

"It's not funny. I'm still mad at you! You really didn't have to do all of that. You were incredibly rude, inappropriate, and immature-"

"But it was funny, come on! You've got to admit that."

Bonnie tried to put on a straight face, but failed as she went into a fit of giggles. "She's been trying to patch up our relationship, but the truth is.. Since I took my dad's side in the divorce, we just haven't been on the best of terms and it was honestly great to see her squirm today." Kol grinned and wrapped his arms around the small girl in front of him.

"I always bright up a room, don't I?" He said as he rested his chin on her head.

She nodded against his chest. Bonnie then changed the subject when she remembered the text Caroline sent her about an hour ago.  
"Hey, do you want to go bowling with me, Elena, Damon, Stefan, Lexi, Caroline, and your brother?"

"Which one?" he chuckled.

"Nik." She said in a _duh _voice. "At least, I think he's going. Care might have to drag him, so I'm going to drag you."

"When?"

"Saturday."

"Since when does anyone have time to go bowling? With everything going on?"

"Caroline planned it," Bonnie shrugged.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course she did. So, what's the special occasion?"

"What? The bowling?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know.. I feel like if it was actually something important, there'd be Enzo, Alaric, Jenna, Matt, Jeremy, and Katherine.. But there's not, so.. It's probably just a random hang out."

He nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll go."

Bonnie smiled. "Yay!" But then her face turned stern. "But don't think that I'm letting you off the hook for today."

Kol groaned, "I thought you said I was funny!"

"You were. But you were still a brat."

Kol rolled his eyes. "First I'm a jerk, now I'm a brat. What is this, third grade?"

She chuckled and hit his shoulder. "Ask yourself that."

He then reached out to grab her by her hips and pulled her close to him, picking her up and spinning her around. She was caught off guard by the gesture, but started laughing. Her smile brightened the room, and it made Kol's heart jump knowing that he can make her smile like that. She squirmed out of his embrace and ran to the living room, with him following right behind her. He chased her around the living room for a while but when Bonnie saw nowhere else to turn as he had blocked every path she would have taken, she jumped on the couch. But he was too quick and he grabbed her hand. She almost fell off the couch, but he caught her in bridal position. They both broke out laughing, leaning their foreheads against each others.

"I think we're behaving fifteen years old, at least." Kol smirked.

Bonnie just shook her head and used her finger to turn his head to hers before bringing her lips to touch his.

...

_SIX YEARS AGO_

_"Bonnie! Will you talk to me?" Damon asked as he followed the brunette through the college dorm hallways. She just ignored him and continued walking towards the elevator. He noticed where she was directing and said, "No you don't!" And he ran in front of her, blocking her way._

_"Damon. Move." She glared at him._

_"She finally talks!" _

_Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Move. Now."_

_"Or what? You'll make me?" He laughed at the idea._

_She reached up and grabbed his ear and yanked it. _

_"Ow! Okay, I get it!"_

_But she already pushed him out of her way and she walked right into the elevator. He quickly jumped in before the doors closed._

_"You have to talk to Jeremy." Damon pleaded. "He deserves an explanation."_

_Bonnie sighed and hung her head. "I shouldn't have even told Elena. I knew she would have just told you."_

_"You've been ignoring him, and he's worried about you. We all promised not to say anything, but you have to tell him."_

_"All?" she asked, turning to face him and raised her eyebrow._

_"Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, and me. Duh. That's who you told."_

_"I didn't tell you, Matt or Tyler! Elena and Caroline did!"_

_"Oh and I think Matt told Rebekah.. And I kind of told Stefan. Who told Lexi.. And I also might have said something to Enzo and Ric- it just slipped out I swear! and you know how Ric tells Jenna everything, so I'm betting he told her."_

_"Great! Now half the town knows I'm pregnant!"_

_"Pregnant?" a voice from the back of the elevator asked. Bonnie slightly jumped at the new voice, and Damon turned to glare at the newcomer. _

_"Who the hell are you?" Damon raised his eyebrow._

_"And how much did you hear?" Bonnie added._

_The man sighed and shrugged his shoulders, grazing his fingertips along the rail. "I'm Kai. And you guys entered the elevator after I did, so basically.. I heard everything. Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way." He shot Bonnie a smile that made her uncomfortable. There was something about Kai that made both the other people uneasy. The way he held himself, like he'd strangle someone if they got his order wrong. He talked like he believed he was perfect. His eyes glimmered and he smiled like.. he was the devil. His dark hair and blue eyes contrasted perfectly. He was beautiful, he might as well have been a fallen angel. Damon gave him a look and stepped protectively in front of his girlfriend's best friend._

_"Well.." Damon said. "Don't talk to her. We're having a conversation."_

_Bonnie then forgot about how creepy Kai was and turned to face her frenemy and snapped, "I'm done talking to you! Why did you even come?"_

_"Because I care about you! And Little Gilbert.. To some extent."_

_She rolled her eyes. "Sure, you do. That's why you make fun of us constantly."_

_Suddenly, the elevator shook and the lights flickered. The box stopped moving and they heard wheels creaking._

_"What was that?" Bonnie whispered, as she clung to the side rail. _

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the elevator stopped." Kai spoke up._

_Damon groaned. "Just great."_

_Bonnie banged her head against the door. "This could not get worse."_

_Damon glanced at her and sighed. She looked worried and he didn't want to scare her anymore so he decided to comfort her. He rested his hand on her back and rubbed it gently. "Hey, everything will be okay. I know there's a thousand people we'd rather be stuck in an elevator with-"_

_"A couple hundred at most." She turned her head and gave him a small smile. "I know you were just trying to help, and I appreciate it." He smiled back at her._

_"Aww, aren't you guys just adorable. Now shut up, I'm trying to contact someone to get us out of here," Kai snapped as he was playing with the wires to get the elevator phone to work. _

_"Don't play with those!" Bonnie warned. "Before you-" and then the small speaker box sparkled up in tiny flames, ruining any chances of contacting someone in the building. "Burn out the wires.." her voice trailed off. _

_"Great job, stupid!" Damon slapped Kai's head. _

_"Hey, I'm sorry!" But he wasn't sorry. He was incapable of feeling anything. He leaned against the wall. "I guess the three of us are stuck here for a while.."_

_In fact they were stuck there for fourteen hours before someone got the elevator fixed and the doors opened on the lobby floor. Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, and Alaric were waiting anxiously, hoping that the people stuck in the elevator were their missing friends. Jeremy was still worried Bonnie was ignoring him, but when Elena said she wasn't answering her calls either, they got worried. Especially since Damon hadn't come home and she had sent him over to their dorm to talk to Bonnie. When Caroline saw the doors open, she breathed in relief when she saw her best friend walk out. She elbowed Elena and Jeremy, and when the Gilberts saw their partners, they ran to them._

_The whole "stuck in an elevator" experience brought Bonnie and Damon closer as friends, especially since they banned together against the annoying prick who wouldn't shut up. Sure, Bonnie wanted Kai to shut up, but she claimed he was just all worked up about being trapped with two total strangers and perhaps he was just extremely talkative. "You got used to Caroline," she told Damon. "Yeah, but she doesn't make inappropriate innuendos," he retorted. "Then you obviously haven't met Caroline. Or yourself," Bonnie commented. The compassionate girl who always tries to see the best people had played mediator between Kai and Damon who fought about every possible thing in the world. Kai might have been annoying, but Bonnie didn't think he was that bad. _

_She couldn't have been more wrong._

...

Saturday came around and Caroline grinned when Stefan entered the front doors of Ryan Family Amusements. She greeted him with a bear hug, and he joked that she was strangling him.

"Hey man," he greeted Klaus who was sitting at the bar, eating nachos. "How'd Care get you here?" He asked, knowing how Klaus isn't much of a social person.

"She promised extra sex," he said simply.

"Nik!" Caroline gasped. She turned to Stefan, "I-"

"I don't even want to know," he shook his head and laughed. "Why are we hanging out here and not bowling?" he asked.

"We're waiting for everyone else, and meanwhile you can have your choice of water or sprite!" The perky blonde exclaimed.

Stefan and Klaus shared a look. "I prefer orange soda."

"And I wanted cream soda," Klaus said.

"Ugh, whatever. They don't even sell anything good here. I wanted a veggie pizza but they only sell cheese!" She then looked around to be careful no one working there heard her making fun of their services, in fear she'd get kicked out.

"It's a kid's place, love." Klaus rubbed her shoulder.

"I know, that doesn't mean they can't serve _actual _food and drinks for the parents."

"Uhm, Care, you do realize we're here without any kids, right?" A voice said from behind them. Caroline turned around and saw Elena and Damon standing there.

"Hey guys!" She smiled at the couple. "Glad you could make it," she said as she gave Elena a hug. Damon held out his arms for a hug but she just punched his shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I would mock and say how_ oh very mature_ that was, but since it's Damon.. I'm gonna have to high five you," Lexi said as she announced her appearance.

"Oh, hello to you too!" Damon said sarcastically. Lexi just rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey Lex," Stefan smiled at his best friend.

"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Lexi asked after she greeted the younger Salvatore brother. She continued standing behind him, draping her arm around his neck.

"Just Kol and Bonnie," Caroline answered.

"You shouldn't have invited my brother," Klaus said. "He is such a sore loser, and he actually kind of sucks at bowling."

"Funny, I could say the same about you, Nik!" Kol snickered as he and Bonnie walked up to the group.

"Oh, shut up. We both know you're worse than me."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kol smirked.

"I'll take that as a challenge," Klaus held his hand out for his younger brother.

Kol took it and then turned to the blonde who put together this hang-out.  
"So why are _we_ the bowling party?" he asked.

"Well.." Caroline started explaining. "I wanted to spend the day with my two best girlfriends," she leaned her arms around Elena and Bonnie's shoulders. "But then I remembered that the three of us are in relationships now with boys that will miss us desperately when we're gone so I was like; it could be like a triple date. But _then _I realized that for the past nine months I have been with Stefan and Lexi non-stop so it'd be weird doing something social without them. I was also going to invite Matt but he and Rebekah have some cake testing today, or something for the wedding, so I'll be hanging out with them next weekend."

"I thought you were hanging out with our other sister next weekend.." Kol asked.

"Oh, we're taking Freya to the mall tomorrow," Klaus answered.

"Anyway.. Who's up for some bowling?" Damon asked.

"We should do girls versus boys!" Lexi suggested.

"Oh, yes. You boys are going down," Elena grinned.

"Bring it!" Stefan laughed.

...

_A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE ELEVATOR INCIDENT_

_Bonnie was at the café on school campus browsing through the pastries lined up on the front on the counter. She had told Jeremy that she was pregnant almost immediately after she was released from the elevator. Surprisingly, he took it well. He was shocked, but at the same time happy. He promised he will do everything he can for their child, and his words reassured Bonnie that everything will be alright. She not only had him, but they had their friends and family._

_But school had been weighing heavily on Bonnie's mind for the past couple of days. She knew she wouldn't be able to finish school. Well, theoretically, she could. When the baby comes, she would have to take a few months off to take care of it and then find someone to watch him or her while she goes back to school and finishes her college degree. She already graduated high school, and college takes a while to finish anyway. She has all the time in the world._

_Which is why she was leaning towards not just taking a few months off, but a few years off._

_Her goal was to finish this semester before withdrawing for a while._

_Her thoughts were interrupted when a voice spoke.  
"Hey, I remember you! You're elevator girl!"_

_Bonnie sighed and glanced up at the owner of that voice._

_Kai._

_She gave him a smile. "What do you want?"_

_"Oh nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing."_

_She raised her eyebrow. "Really?" For some reason, she just didn't believe him._

_"So.." he lowered his voice. "What are you going to do about your balloon situation?"_

_"Balloon?" Her eyes widened. "Oh, you mean my pregnancy?" He nodded. "That's not really any of your business."_

_"Well, it is if you're my tutor."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Yeah.. I went to the tutor center today because I am absolutely failing criminology, and I saw that you have really great grades in all your classes so they recommended I talk to you."_

_"I'm sorry, I'm just in shock that they have tutor centers in college."_

_He laughed. "It was a shock to me, too." He looked her up and down. "So, will you do a poor idiot a favor and help him not flunk his first semester at college?"_

_She rolled her eyes but gave in. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. But it'll only be until the end of the semester, because I'll be withdrawing then."_

_"Okay. Two and a half months should be just enough time before we take off my training wheels and whoops, there I go! Out into the world, without my beautiful, helpful tutor telling the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath." Bonnie broke out laughing; she figured she could get used to him. "No, seriously. I don't know the difference."_

_"It's about what they feel. Psychopaths are not capable of feelings, while sociopaths are. But it really doesn't matter, because both can kill you."_

_"Good to know," Kai said. Bonnie was too busy writing down her phone number for him to notice his sinister smile as he watched her._

_Her agreeing to tutoring him was the start of a series of unfortunate events._

...

Elijah opened the door and there stood Klaus and Caroline, who were here to take Freya shopping and to see a movie. When Caroline had told the newest member of the Mikaelson family that she could hang out with the couple, she was ecstatic. They talked on the phone and the younger blonde had mentioned that she still hadn't bought some new clothes for her stay in Mystic Falls. At the word _clothes _Caroline perked up and offered to take her shopping. Then they remembered Klaus was supposed to be there too so then they settled on going to see a movie afterwards- one that Klaus will pick as he's being dragged from Forever 21 to Hollister.

"Hello Niklaus, Caroline," he smiled and greeted them.

"This is why you're my favorite, you're always so polite!" Caroline returned his smile. Klaus nodded at his brother as he followed his girlfriend into the big house.

"I think it's very nice of you guys to take Freya out to do something. I've been busy working on cases, and Katherine's pregnancy makes her not up for doing anything, so our sister has been cooped up in the house all week."

"Oh, we don't mind." Klaus spoke. "No better way than make her feel apart of the family than have Caroline play dress up with her."

The blonde hit is shoulder. "Hey! I asked you what you wanted to do and you said you didn't care."

"You would just veto down my suggestion and drag me shopping anyway."

".. True. But Freya told me she needs to get some new clothes anyway, so I'm happy to buy her some!"

"And make me carry a dozen bags?"

"No, we're not going to fall into gender stereotypes. If there's too much for us, then you'll carry them."

"Oh okay," Klaus nodded his head sarcastically.

Elijah just quietly chuckled at the banter between the stubborn blonde couple.

Within twenty minutes Klaus, Caroline and Freya were walking in the mall. They entered Caroline's favorite store, Forever 21.

"So, Freya.." Caroline spoke up as the two girls looked through racks of clothing. "What was your life like before you found your family?" Apparently, bluntness was Care's middle name.

Freya ran her hands along this long, lace, red dress. She wished she could buy it. "Oh.. Well, it was just me and my dad most of the time. I really miss him." Her voice wavered as she thought of her father. The two of them were very close, and when he died Freya felt like her whole world had fell apart.

"I'm sure you do," Caroline said sadly. "I couldn't imagine losing a parent. My dad living so far away is the closest I ever want to not having my parents with me."

"Yeah.. Foster care was a bitch, honestly. I would see these little kids get adopted, and I wished someone would come take me. But I was too old. I missed my chance. I needed to be with actual family.. And I knew I had some out there _somewhere. _And I found it." She turned to her brother. "You guys have been so welcoming. I just wanted to say thank you."

Klaus nodded. "It's really no problem. I think it's because of how messed up our parents, especially our mother, have been that we felt this urge to protect you. At least, _I did. _And it's also nice to know I'm not the only child that came out of our mother's deceit."

"Klaus." Caroline glared at him.

But the young girl didn't mind the comment. In fact, she start to giggle.

"See. At least someone appreciate my jokes," Klaus chuckled and gestured to his sister.

"Ha ha," Caroline rolled her eyes. Her eyes then landed on the dress that Freya had been looking at before. "Oh my god, that dress is perfect!" The dress was short, it fell just above the knee, but the way it was put together made it seem longer. It was tight at the top but then flowed out towards the bottom. The top was lace and showed off the girl's collarbone and neck. It was beautiful.

"Oh, yeah.. I was looking at it," Freya admitted. "But, dresses aren't really my thing. It's too fancy anyway. Plus it's $80, I couldn't ask you to spend that."

Caroline shook her head. "No dress is too fancy. And if it is, well then, Cinderella, we might just have to find you a ball to go with this gown. And don't worry about the price: I'm from a founding family, we're kind of what you call royalty around here." She took the dress of the hook and handed it to the shorter blonde. "Now, go try it on!"

...

Tyler was sitting at his home while watching the football game he recorded from last night. He was slowly dozing off until his phone started ringing. He jumped up in surprise, spilling the bowl of chips everywhere.

"Shit!" he cursed as he grabbed his phone. Without looking at the called ID, he pressed answer and put the device to his ear. "Hello?" He silently hated the person for calling him and making him spill the chips. He quickly picked up handfuls of chips and attempted to put them back in the bowl, but they just kept crumbling and making an even bigger mess.

_"Hey, Tyler. It's Lexi," the other voice said._

Tyler stopped putting the chips back into the bowl and leaned against the couch.

When he and Lexi figured out that Liv was Kai's younger sister, he had told Lexi to call him when her roommate returned back to Mystic Falls.

"Any news?" He didn't need to address about what. The two of them wanted to investigate more on the Kai thing without telling anyone else. Not Damon. Not Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, or Stefan. Not Enzo or the Sheriff. No one. Not until they knew enough.

_"She's back, but I don't know if she's staying long. I think her brother is here too."_

"Kai? We know he's here."

_"No, her twin brother. Luke. There's four of them. Both sets of twins. Jo and Kai are the oldest. And then Luke and Liv are the youngest."_

"What happened to the rest of them? The ones in the middle?"

_"I think.. They died.." Her voice shook._

"How?" The silence made him rethink whether or not he wanted to know. "Nevermind. I don't want to know."

_"If you want to talk to Liv, then go to Skull Bar because she was heading there."_

"Okay, thanks."

Before he could hang up, Lexi spoke again.

_"No problem. Just update me if you find out more about Kai."_

"I doubt I'll ask about her psycho brother who tried to kill my friends the first time I talk to this girl I might like," he said sarcastically. Lexi scoffed from the other line. "But if I do, I'll let you know."

_"Bye, Tyler."_

Tyler was already in his car driving to Skull Bar, forgetting about the pile of chips on the floor. He knew his mom would probably yell at him for being so irresponsible and lazy, but he decided to bring back a rule he followed religiously when he was a teenager: act first and apologize later.

Ten minutes later, he pulled his car into a empty parking space in the lot of Skull Bar. When he entered the building, he knew Lexi was right. But Liv wasn't there hanging out, she was working behind the bar. She didn't notice him come in, so he just sat himself down at the bar so when she turned around she'd be facing him.

Liv was cleaning up the counter, when she felt a presence sit behind her. She took a deep breath before putting on a fake smile and turning around. Her smile dropped when she saw who was wanting her assistance.

"Can I help you?" she snapped.

Tyler chuckled. "Sure you can. I would like.." his eyes quickly scanned the menu. "A chocolate truffle, a beer, and five minutes of your time."

She rolled her eyes. "That is the _worst _pick up line I have ever heard. Go find some other girl to bother, I'm busy."

"Listen, I don't want to talk to you for the reason you think."

"Then why do you want to talk to me?" She was actually really interested in his answer.

The look she was giving him was scaring Tyler a little bit. He decided to just tell the truth or else she'd probably torture it out of him. "Your brother."

Her defenses shot up immediately (like they were even down to begin with.) "Why? What has he done? Is he here? I haven't seen him, I was hoping he moved on to another town. Oh, god. I need to call my dad!" She was talking to herself more than him by the end of her outburst. Her hands were flailing around the place trying to find her phone.

He grabbed her hands and said, "No no no. He's not here. You need to calm down."

She leaned her head across the counter. "I can't calm down.." She started hyperventilating and speaking rapidly. "My brother is a psychopath and when my dad told me he broke out of jail and was probably on his way here to find me, I went straight back to Portland to talk to my family. We decided that we all had to come back to catch him.." But she was so scared because her and her twin brother were the bait. Their dad was uptight and even as much as he claims to love his kids, he trades them all the time. Even though Kai killed most of his children, Joshua Parker would gladly sacrifice one of the twins if it meant Kai back behind bars before he could hurt Josette.

"Why would he want you?"

"Because.." before she could go into the story, she realized who she was talking to. "I'm not telling you, I barely know you."

"Listen, your family isn't the only people your brother has hurt. He hurt three of my friends, who all live here and everyone I care about is connected to this guy. He's back, and there are a lot of people he'd want revenge on, so please.. If you have anything on him. Anything about his backstory that can help. Please. I'm close with the Sheriff, her deputy, and another cop in this town, and they're the good guys, I promise. We can help."

Liv nodded but kept staring at the counter top. She muttered something about how her dad doesn't want outsiders help, but she knew it wouldn't help to try.

Tyler looked at Liv and he saw someone who was broken. He wanted to help her. He could see that she put up a wall that made people think she was a bitch. But even though he had only talked to her for five minutes, he believe she could be kind, and he knew she was loyal and compassionate about her family. Just like him.

But the way she was staring at the counter, he saw that she carried a lot of baggage and was scared to talk about it.

He slowly moved his hand to lift her chin so she could look in his eyes. She didn't flinch, which surprised even hereself.

"Liv.. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear. I will do everything I can to help you."

For some reason, Liv believed him. She usually wouldn't let someone in, especially not so quickly after meeting them. There was something about his dark brown eyes that were so captivating and kind and trusting. Before she could get lost in his eyes, she glanced at the floor and nodded.

And then she started the story.

* * *

**I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short, but we started to get some answers! We know how Damon and Bonnie met Kai, but how does Bonnie agreeing to tutor Kai turn downhill? There will be a couple of flashbacks per chapter explaining more of his story, meanwhile in the actual timeline, Lexi and Tyler have been teaming up to find out more on Kai! What do the Parker family have planned for Kai? What does Liv tell Tyler? In the flashbacks, what does Kai do? And how does Elena fit into the picture?**

**Okay, so like I said earlier: I have a bunch of storylines planned, but I will have to skip ahead a bit. I won't time jump as far as I would like, I'll only go a few weeks, so next chapter we will find out whether Kalijah are having a boy or a girl!**

**The girl name is Sophia Nadia Mikaelson, and the boy is Hayden Lucas Mikaelson. Please leave whether you want it to be a girl or a boy when you review! **

**And the Esther storyline has been put on hold for a while: despite Kol's wishes, she's not gone forever, not yet anyway. How exactly did Finn get her to leave? What did he do?**

**Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hola guys! This chapter is pretty long, so bear with me! By the way, I don't think I say this enough but thank you all for your reviews and favorites and follows, it means a lot :) I'm hoping to get this story pretty popular by the end of it, like I did with my HOA story I have since deleted. **

**Some twists and turns in this chapter, but we find out what Kalijah is having, and we wrap up this chapter with a sweet (and shocking) Klaroline moment, so be prepared! Enjoy the chapter :)**

**BTW: I don't know much about OBGYN equipment so excuse the inaccuracy there. Also, the quote from the Klaroline scene is from a show I have recently become obsessed with; One Tree Hill, so no credit to me for that. Oh, and again excuse any grammar errors, my computer is having problems and I'm too lazy to read this over more than once.**

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.**

* * *

Katherine lay on the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling. It was covered in glow-in-the-dark star stickers, and she didn't know whether to laugh because it's stupid or to smile and find it cute.

She was at the hospital because it was her ultrasound, as she was twenty weeks pregnant. Her and Elijah decided to find out whether they were having a boy or a girl today since they were able to. Katherine couldn't help but feel like something was wrong, because she was extra moody and plus she looked way bigger than Sage, Elena and Bonnie did when they were pregnant. No matter how many times her husband told her she looked like an angel, she still felt fat.

_"Of course you look bigger, you're carrying our child," Elijah would tell her._

_"That doesn't mean I have to look like a cow!"_

_"You do not!"_

_"Sage, Elena, and Bonnie were never this big," she complained._

_"Stop comparing yourself to them. Every woman has a different pregnancy. Elena and Bonnie were younger than you, and Tate was a small baby. He was six weeks premature."_

_"That still doesn't make me feel better."_

_"Listen to me," he would say as he'd caress her face. "You are carrying my child, and that makes you the most beautiful woman in the world to me. And even if you weren't pregnant, you'd still be the most stunning creature I'd ever laid eyes on."_

_"I have a twin sister," she would scoff._

_He would sigh and successfully resist the urge to roll his eyes. "You and Elena may look alike, but there are significant differences-"_

_"Like what, the hair?"_

_"The eyes. Your eyes are strong, fierce, and independent. The two of you.. You have different personalities, and it shows in your eyes. Its the way the two of you hold yourselves. Elena is gentle and careful, but you're carefree and not afraid to speak your mind even if you know it might hurt someone's feelings. I admire your sister's kindness, but I admire even more how you're not afraid to, excuse me for saying this, be a bitch when needed. I like how you are, how you act, and although sometimes your instincts are childish, you've been trying to change for our child, and I think your sudden maternal instinct makes you even more elegant."_

_"Oh shut up," she would hit his shoulder and complain how much of a sap he is. But he would see the tears in her eyes from her hormones, (or maybe he's just so good with words even he can break her shell). _

_Accepting that he'll never progress, Elijah has since given up on trying to convince his wife she looked beautiful just the way she was._

Katherine started laughing at the stars on the ceiling. Elijah looked at her from his spot on the chair next to the bed and smiled.

"What are you laughing at?" He reached over to hold her hand. His thumb rubbed soothing circles on her palm, which has become a habit of his.

"The stars! They just.. Look really funny. It's like they think it's the kid looking at this crap."

He chuckled. "Well, you never know. Maybe the little one can sense the stars from inside their mother's stomach."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson, I'm Dr. Powers and I'll be assisting you during the rest of your pregnancy," the doctor announced as he walked into the small room. "What will we be doing today?" He asked as he picked up the clipboard to look at Katherine's files. "It says here that you are twenty weeks along. Are we finding out the gender today?"

"Yes, that would be great," Elijah answered with a huge smile on his face.

Katherine, on the other hand, was staring at her doctor with a disturbed look on her face. She hated how he talked. How he was referring to them as "we." Like stop, you just met them and you don't get to talk like you've been friends forever.

While she was too busy judging him in her mind, Dr. Powers already had the cold gel spread on her stomach. She yelped,  
"Ow, that's cold!"

Dr. Powers chuckled. "So I've been told." He moved the wand around her swollen stomach until the fetus was visible on the monitor. He pointed at the screen and told the soon-to-be parents, "There is your baby."

Elijah and Katherine both stared in awe. This wasn't the first time they've seen their child, but it still melted their hearts every time. _They made that. _

"Oh, and we can detect a heartbeat now," the doctor said.

The room was filled with a _thump, thump. Thump, thump. _

Katherine felt her husband squeeze her hand and she looked up at him. She was sure that when she was giving birth, _he _would be the one crushing her hand. Instead of making fun of him, she just sent him a smile. But he was too busy staring at his daughter or son on the screen to see her smile.

She turned her head and admired their baby too. She couldn't him blame for being drawn in to the picture. It was beautiful.

"Are we able to find out the sex?" The almost-father asked.

Dr. Power nodded. "If you two are ready?" The parents looked at each other and nodded. "Okay then.." He moved the wand a little more until he could detect what he was looking for. His eyes widened when a second heart beat was detected. "Oh.. Wait.."

Both Katherine and Elijah's smiles faltered. "What's wrong?" Katherine asked, petrified there was actually something wrong like she had feared.

"Nothing is wrong." They both let out a sigh of relief. "I've just detected a second heartbeat."

Katherine froze. _A second heartbeat?_

Elijah's smile grew even bigger when he processed what their doctor was actually saying. "Wait.. Are you saying.. We're having twins?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." He gestured to the screen. "A girl and a boy. You get one of each, congratulations."

"Thank y-"

"Twins?" Katherine asked. "W-what, h-how is that possible?"

"Mrs. Mikaelson, you're a twin correct?"

"Well, yes.."

"Sometimes, it can be genetic. This usually doesn't happen within back-to-back generations, but the human anatomy is a wonderful thing."

"But.. I just.. I.." Katherine was speechless. She wasn't able to comprehend that she was carrying _twins. _A boy _and _a girl. A son and daughter.

"I will leave you two love birds alone. Congratulations, once again." Dr. Powers smiled once again and then headed out the door.

"Elijah, what are we going to do?" Katherine wasted no time.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his smile dropped. "This is great news, Katerina!"

She sat up, wiping the gross gel off her stomach before yanking her tank top down. "I-I know.. I mean.. I wasn't expecting.."

"No one could have predicted this, Katerina. But this makes me incredibly happy. I'm starting a family with you. Ever since I met you.. It's all I ever wanted. And you love me back, which is something I never thought would happen-"

"Please, don't go into another one of your speeches," she pleaded. "Not that I don't love them," she laughed lightly. "I just don't need to burst into tears right now."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I love you, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed him away jokingly. "I've only heard it a thousand million times." As he helped her stand up, she had a thought. She gasped and grabbed his arm, "Now we know why I'm fat!"

He internally groaned. "Katerina, how many times do I have to tell you?"

...

Stefan and Damon were outside the boarding house tossing a football to one another. Neither knew exactly how they got to there, but they continued tossing the ball anyway. It was a nice, quiet thing to do. Something no one in this town has had in a while.

"You know, I've missed this," Stefan suddenly said, distracting the conversation from his brother teasing him about Lexi.

"Miss what? Your big brother teasing you?" Damon smirked as he threw the ball over Stefan's head purposely.

Stefan looked behind him, where the ball landed in the tree. He sighed and turned back to his brother and gave a look. "Now you did that on purpose."

"So what if I did?" Damon laughed. "Go climb it!"

The green-eyed brother rolled his eyes. "Nah, I think I'm good. I'm going inside and gonna attempt to kidnap my nephew."

"Hey, fine with me!" Damon called as he followed his little brother into their- his house. "Chris has been on a rampage lately."

The younger Salvatore laughed, "How so?"

"He keeps asking questions like he's trying to get into everyone's business. Elena says he might be trying to write a book just like her, and similar to Elena, he needs inspiration from the lives of the people around him."

"Wow, that's so deep and he's only three. How much damage can he do?"

"Ask him yourself," Damon nodded when he saw his son hop down the stairs. When Christian saw his dad and uncle, his eyes sparkled and he ran over to Stefan.

"Uncle Stefan!" The kid exclaimed as the man he was excited to see picked him up and hugged him.

"Hey, buddy! How you've been?" He smiled at his nephew.

"I'm good! I was at daycare the other day and we talked about our mothers, and I said how my mommy was the smartest, most beautiful, bestest mommy in the world!"

Stefan laughed, and Damon wanted to melt from his spot on the other side of the kitchen. Elena, Damon, and Chris were such a close-knit family, and as much as Stefan was happy for his brother, his heart ached because he didn't have that. Not the fact that he doesn't have Elena, but that he doesn't have someone who loves him as much as Elena and Damon love each other. But he admires that Damon really turned his life around for his family, and is surprisingly an adoring father. He kissed his nephew's dark brown hair before letting him stand on the floor.

"You guys never talk about your mother," Christian's tiny voice pointed out. Both the Salvatore brothers were shocked at the young boy's sudden words. They shared a look.

"There's nothing to talk about, buddy." Damon said in a sad voice as he ruffled his son's hair.

"I love my mommy!" Chris cheered. "I will talk about her everyday for the rest of my life!" Damon and Stefan chuckled at the youngest Salvatore.

"He's a cute kid," Stefan smiled. "One of the only things you've done right, Damon."

Damon shot his younger brother a smile. "Thanks, little bro."

"Yeah, bro!" Chris lightly punched Stefan's knee. "Uncle Stefan, what was your mom's name?"

Stefan looked at Damon. "He's not going to give up, is he?"

"Just tell him her name. That's all he wants."

Stefan turned to his nephew and lifted him up so he was sitting on the counter. "Since you want to know so badly.. My mother's name was Lily."

Damon raised his eyebrow. "No.. It wasn't.. It was Maria."

Stefan shook his head and gave his brother a weird look. "It was Lily. That's what's on my birth certificate. Yours too. I needed to look at them when I was in medical school."

"But I distinctly remember our father calling her Maria."

"Who the hell is Maria?"

"Our mom!"

"No, her name was Lily."

Christian looked back and force between the two older men in confusion. He wondered how they could forget their mother's name.

"How would you know, you were a year old when she left!" Damon retorted.

Stefan's face faltered. He looked as if he was a wounded puppy. "Thanks a lot," his voice sounded small.

Damon instantly regretted his choice of words. "I didn't mean it like that." He rested his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yes, you did."

"Stef.. It doesn't even matter.. Because she didn't even act like our mother-"

"After I was born?" The dark blonde continued to look distressed.

"No. I mean, she did seem different but-"

"There's no buts Damon. She left because I was born."

"No, come on. Don't think like that. I don't remember much about her either. I had a concussion the day you were born, and-"

Before Damon could finish his sentence, Christian spoke up. "Why don't you guys actually look up your mom's name?" He didn't really understand the other stuff they were talking about besides that they couldn't agree on their mother's name.

Damon nodded. "There's still that box of mom's things that dad had. I could never bring myself to look through it, but I could also never bring myself to throw it out. It's in the basement."

He shared a look with his brother and they both agreed to go look at it. Was it the right time to dig up ugly hatchets? Probably not. But they took one look at Christian and knew they were doing it for him.

"Okay, you guys figure that out, I'm going to go play video games with Uncle Jeremy!" Chris announced before running out of the room.

"But Jeremy's not here.." Stefan pointed out.

Damon led them to the basement. "It's through the internet. They play every Friday at this time, it's like a ritual."

"You mean a tradition?" Stefan clarified as he turned the basement light on.

"Yeah, whatever," Damon scoffed. He located the box that held their mother's things, and with Stefan's help, they lowered it off the shelf and onto the floor.

"So.. You want to look through it?" Stefan asked.

Damon sighed. "Not really. But it can't hurt. I think."

Stefan laughed. The two brothers then sat on the floor and opened the box. But there was more in the box than they thought.

The first things they saw were copies of their birth certificates, and just like Stefan had said, their mom's name was Lily. There were pictures of a raven haired woman with bright blue eyes holding a baby Damon up to when he was a toddler. There was a picture of the same woman pregnant with Stefan. The picture of their parents on their wedding day. But then there was a picture of the mother they remember.. And it was not Lily. No, this woman was blonde and had green eyes, just like Stefan but now that they looked closer, she looked nothing like Stefan.

"What is this?" Damon asked as he looked at the two different women.

Stefan pulled out sonogram photos, baby books, a teacup, ribbons, a outdated copy of _Call of the Wild, _a _Miss Mystic Falls _sash, and a few other items that belonged to their mother. Which one, he didn't know.

"I know these sonogram photos belong to Lily.. But these other items, I don't know who they belong to."

"I guess Maria did exist after all," Damon said as he held up a picture of the two young boys with their father and the blonde lady. "We were both right then."

Stefan shook his head. "But this doesn't make sense.."

"Hey, I'm just as confused as you, brother."

"Wait, what's this?" Stefan asked as he found one last thing in the box. A letter.

"A letter?"

"From our father..."

Damon's heart leapt at the mention of Giuseppe Salvatore. He was very close with his father, and to say the least, his death took a bad turn of the eldest son.

"Well are you going to read it?" Damon asked. Stefan had been holding the letter in his hands for several minutes, not moving.

"I'm just scared of what it says.." The blonde admitted. "Our dad always favored you, and apparently both of our moms left us and I can't help but think it's my fault."

"Stef.." Damon spoke softly. "I don't care about any of that. I don't care about them. You're my brother, and you're one of the best people I have ever met. Lily and Maria, or whoever, missed out on a great son. And our father loved you very much, I at least can tell you that."

Stefan gave his brother a smile. "Okay.. Let's read it."

Damon ripped open the letter and in the dusty paper and messy handwriting, the two brothers got answers to questions they never thought to ask. The whole situation with Lily and Maria was explained right in this letter. Neither of them wanted to believe what they were reading, but all the evidence they found in the box proved their father's written words to be true.

"Wow." Stefan was speechless. He did not know what to say. This changed everything.

Damon, on the other hand, had to say the words out loud for them to be clear. "Our father had a mistress when our mom was pregnant with you.. Our mom, Lily, died giving birth to you. Our father took home his mistress because he didn't want us to grow up without a mother."

"But she couldn't handle raising another woman's child so she left."

"And dear daddy never told us the truth."

"You couldn't tell the difference because you fell off your bike the day I was born and had a concussion. The doctors said you could remember certain memories, but not distinct faces. Our father claimed you, obviously, but instead of breaking to you that our mother died, he introduced you to Maria and said she was your mother. Being so young, you didn't understand you were being lied to."

"Wow. That changes a lot of things, doesn't it?" Damon chuckled. He still couldn't believe that he spent his whole life believing some _lie. _He _did _have a mother. One who loved him very much, one who would have loved his brother. In the letter, it said that Lily was excited to have a second baby despite the complications in the pregnancy. She knew that something could have happened to her, but she took the risk because she wanted Stefan to have a chance at life. It wasn't until the last minute did she find out about her husband's affair, and the stress threw her into labor. She never wanted to leave without saying goodbye to Damon, but her son was in the emergency room, and she _had_ died before saying goodbye. She died before meeting her second son. The doctors had to perform surgery to get Stefan out safely. It was a tragic day, and Giuseppe had blamed himself for his wife's death. But he wasn't going to allow his sons to grow up without a mother, so he conned his mistress into pretending to be their mother. She, of course, wasn't able to handle it, so she left. His sons grew up without a mother either way.

Stefan nodded but tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "I killed her, Damon. Why don't you hate me?" His voice was cracking with guilt.

"You did _not _kill her. Our father did."

"No. She had complications because of _me. _I can't.."

"She risked her life so that she could give you your best chance. She wanted you to live, even if it meant her dying... Stefan, I don't hate you for anything. Sure, you annoy me sometimes, but you're still my brother. Don't beat yourself up about this. We spent our whole lives believing one thing, and now we learn another, but it doesn't change the fact that we're a family and I wouldn't trade any moments with you for a moment with either of our parents."

"Really?"

Damon nodded. He stood up and held out his hand to help his brother up. Stefan took it.

...

"You did _what?!_" Sage yelled at her husband.

Finn had been carrying a secret around with him since he got back from his mother's, and it was killing him. He knew he had to tell his wife, and that she would help him figure out what to do about his siblings. But he didn't expect her to get angry. She wasn't just angry, she was _furious._

The two stood in their kitchen, which overlooked their backyard and pool, where Freya was playing with Tate. Finn wanted to spend some time with his sister, and his son wanted a playing buddy, so he invited her over to swim while Katherine and Elijah found out the sex of their baby. After seeing how good Freya was with his son, Finn asked his wife if he could speak with her in the house. They trusted the teen to watch their son, and told her they'd be right inside if she needed anything.

But they didn't expect all hell to break loose.

"It was the only way to get her to leave!" Finn tried to defend himself.

"You're such an idiot! You can't keep those promises! I forbid you!"

"You can't make me do anything!"

"What about your siblings? There is no way in hell any of them are going to agree to that!"

He took a deep breath. He knew he shouldn't have promised any of that stuff, but he wasn't thinking. He just wanted her to leave Mystic Falls, and he accomplished that. _Sort of. _

"I cannot believe you," Sage huffed. "You sold out your own family. _Yourself_."

"I didn't sell out anybody! Don't make this sound worse than it is."

"But this is bad, Finn! Can't you see that?"

"I only promised her I'd visit once in a while to let her know how things were going with everyone."

"Yeah," Sage rolled her eyes. "And you said you'd let her see Tate-"

"She only wants to say goodbye to him!"

"I don't trust her with my son."

"He's my son, too!"

"Yeah, and she's your mother, you should know how bad this would be."

"I don't want him to go either-"

"Then don't let him!"

"It's not that simple, Sage."

"Yes, it is." She glance out the window at Tate splashing Freya. "You also promised her she could meet your new sister. That's low that she would even ask that."

"I said I couldn't make any promises on anything, and if you would let me explain I would've told you that."

"But that's the thing; she's not going to take no for an answer."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't say that to me. Say that Rebekah and Elijah."

"She wants to be there when Elijah's baby is born. And she wants a seat at Rebekah's wedding..."

"Like that would _ever _happen! Your siblings trusted you to go see her, and everyone was worried about what would have happened. And I guess you proved them right."

He just stared at her. The words that came out of her mouth hurt him. He knew he disappointed everyone, but there was nothing he could have done better. He did his best. And it broke his heart knowing his wife was upset with him.

"That is _not fair. _I didn't know what else to say to her."

She was leaning over the counter, looking out the window at the kids playing in the pool. She turned around to face him. "How about _no_? Or was that too difficult? I know you used to be close with her, but-"

"She's manipulative, I know that now!"

"Then why did promise her stuff you can't give to her! I'm not letting you take our son to her, and I'm not letting that poor girl," she pointed to Freya through the window, "meet that psycho. And I'm sure as hell not going to let her anywhere near Katherine and Elijah's baby. And as much as I hate your sister, your mother is not ruining that wedding."

"It was negotiation deal, I had no choice," he sighed.

"There's always a choice."

He looked in her blue eyes and knew she was angry. He held his breath as he told her the next bit of news that would make her angrier.

"She wants money."

Her eyes widened. "How much money?" There was low growl in the back of her voice. She was prepared to do more yelling if she had to.

"It was either the money, or the promises, and she's expecting one or the other-" He tried explain but she just cut him off.

"How much money, Finn?"

He looked out the window, then at the floor, then back at the fiery redhead standing before him. "2 million dollars."

She dropped her head in her hands on the counter. She wanted to scream, but she didn't have the energy anymore.

"We don't have 2 million dollars," she finally said.

"Exactly."

"But we can't give her those promises either."

"I know."

"So, what do we do?"

"Hey!" Freya's voice interrupted their conversation. She popped her head in the slider door. "I really have to pee, and I know I'm supposed to be watching Tate, but it's an emergency so if you guys could keep an eye on him for like two minutes, I'll be right back out, I promise," she spoke really fast and Finn just wanted to laugh because she was adorable.

Sage nodded. "Yeah, sweetie. The bathroom is the second on your right."

"Thank you!" She grinned and ran to the bathroom. After she was out of earshot, the couple turned back to one another.

"We need to do something," Finn said as he quickly checked out the window to make sure Tate was okay. Freya must have told him to get out of the pool until she came back, and he thought that was very mature of her. He was mostly surprised that his son _actually _listened. After making sure the little fireball was okay playing with his toys by the chair, he turned back to his wife.

"I think you need to tell your siblings," Sage admitted.

His eyes opened, "No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes! They need to know!" She eyes the cell phone sitting on the counter. "And I'm calling one right now!"

"Sage!" He begged. She already beat him to the phone, but he tried to reach around her to grab it out of her hands. "Please, give me back the phone!"

"No!" She started laughing at how ridiculous they were being.

Taking advantage of her distraction, he knocked the phone out of her hands.

"Hey, that phone cost $300," she pouted.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and picked up the phone. "Listen to me. I don't want to tell Elijah, or Rebekah, or Kol or Klaus yet. I want to handle this on my own. I don't want to worry them. They've all been busy lately, and I don't want to take them away from their lives."

_"You _have a life, too."

"I know, but I think I can fix this."

"We don't have any money to give her. You and I barely make enough as it is."

"I know that. And I also don't want to 'sell' out my family."

"I don't want that either.." Sage thought for a minute. "Okay.. I do _not _want you to visit her regularly. But.. I think we can compromise."

"How so?" He raised an eyebrow.

She took a deep breath. "As long as Freya wants to.. This is all on her decision.. If she says no then we find a plan B, okay?" He nodded. "You, me, Freya, and Tate take a trip up to _her_ home next weekend with a couple hundred dollars to give her. She sees Tate, meets Freya, half of your promises are fulfilled, and she gets some of the money. But while we're there, we tell her you're never coming back, she's not getting the rest of her money, and we're done with her. We _have _to be done with her, Finn. Tell her that she got something, and if she wants the rest of her kids to come around, then it's going to take time, and we all know she doesn't have much of it left. I know that sounds horrible, but we have to let her go. Tell her that bad things will happen if we don't."

Finn nodded. "I think that's good. But you really want Tate to go see her?"

"_No. _But I'll be there, and I won't let her do anything to you or him. Or your sister. And the best part is, the rest of your siblings never have to know."

"Know what?" Freya asked as she entered the kitchen.

Sage and Finn shared a look. Finn opened his mouth to explain to the blonde their plan when she looked out the window and screamed.

"Where's Tate?" She asked.

The three of them raced out the door and into the backyard, where they saw Tate lying face down in the pool.

"Oh my god!" Sage screamed as tears clouded her eyes. "Tate!" She cried.

Finn was in shock, he couldn't move. His son was dying, _why couldn't he move._

But thankfully, Freya immediately jumped into the pool and got him out.

"Is he breathing?!" Sage kept on crying as she took her son in her arms. Finn snapped out of his trance and leaned beside his wife and son.

"Tate! Come on, buddy! Wake up!" Finn started crying as Sage patted Tate's cheek, trying to get the water out.

"Come on, Tate! Open your eyes," Sage pleaded.

Tate's eyes flew open and he started coughing up water, trying to breathe in air.

"Oh thank god," Finn breathed in relief.

Sage started crying even more and held her son closer. She caressed his head and kissed his damp hair over and over. "You're okay, you're okay," she whispered.

Finn rubbed his son's back comfortingly. "It's all my fault. I wasn't paying attention-"

"We _both_ weren't paying attention," Sage shook her head. She held her son even closer if that was possible. "Oh my god.. We're such horrible parents.. I.." She looked over at the blonde angel sitting on the edge of the pool looking worriedly at the small family. "You.." She breathed. Freya looked up from her nephew to her sister-in-law. "You're a guardian angel. You saved my son's life. Thank you."

Finn noticed his sister sitting there and recalled how he couldn't move. He was supposed to save his son. But he couldn't. His sister did. He could never repay her for that. He nodded at her, "Thank you so much. I don't how we can repay you." He kissed his son's head. "You're a hero."

Freya didn't know what to say. Her brother and his family were in gratitude of her, and it just made her heart swell. She just looked at how happy those parents were to see their son okay, and she knew that the only thing they could do to repay her was to stay a family. She sent them a smile and said, "I'm just happy he's alright."

Finn and Sage just continued fussing over Tate, hugging him close and kissing him. The young boy, being so young, didn't understand what actually happened, but he was just glad his parents were paying him attention.

"You're alright, honey," Sage whispered.

"We're gonna be alright," Finn added. Sage and him shared a look. They had to go through with this plan. But they weren't taking Tate. Or Freya. They were both too important to see Esther. They would dig up more money if they have to. They just have to get her to back off. They know they're going to be alright. They have to be.

_They're going to be alright._

...

"Oh my god, that's insane," Lexi breathed as Tyler finished telling her the story Liv had told him about her brother. "Kai is a psychopath. I'm surprised they didn't send him to a mental institution, let alone only let him have five years in prison. I mean, the guy killed four of his siblings. _Four people, _Tyler. He gutted his twin sister, he did all of this stuff to Elena, Bonnie and Damon.. He's guilty of selling and abusing drugs, attempt at date rape, he kidnaped and tortured someone, and he held a cop and a pregnant woman at gun point! How could they just _let him go_?!"

Tyler shook his head. "The police up in Portland suck. The worst part is: Kai's main targets are Liv and Luke. They always have been. Everyone else was just collateral damage, and our friends got caught in a crossfire. What he's doing back in Mystic Falls makes me wonder.. Did he come back for the twins? Or our friends? They _are _the reason he got caught."

"Well if he does anything, we can just tell Sheriff Forbes and they'll arrest him again," Lexi said.

"No, I think he's counting on that. We need to be smart about this. We can't just walk up to Damon or Enzo or the Sheriff and be like, hey this psychopath we all hate got let out of jail and we're scared he's after everyone. He knows we're waiting to catch him doing something, so he'll be extra careful with what he's doing. We need to find out a way around him. Try to figure out what he's doing. What his plans are."

Lexi scoffed and leaned back in her seat. The two were at The Grill trying to figure out what to do with Kai.

"You make it sound like it's easy. We can't get through to him. No one can. Like you said, he'll be careful. Around everybody."

"We just have to dig a little more. What did he actually go to jail for? Do they know the whole story? Did he not pay time for something he's done? Has he done anything else since he got out? It's a long way from Portland to Mystic Falls. He had to screw up somewhere."

"We can't do this, Tyler. This is going to be hard."

He reached over the table to touch her hand. "Hey, we'll be doing a good thing if we can get this guy locked up for good."

Lexi nodded in agreement, but immediately shoved his hand away. She hated how his hand felt on hers. She did _not _want to feel something for him. He likes Liv, her roommate, her friend. She knows he's doing this to hurt Kai, because he hurt Elena and Bonnie, and wants to hurt Liv. He's actually doing something selfless. He wants to protect people he cares about, and she finds the whole hero-thing endearing. Spending all this time with him, planning their next move, and along the way he's made her laugh a few times, she realized that maybe he's not this big of a jerk she's thought. All she has heard for the past few years is about how he broke Caroline's heart and was a complete asshole. Maybe his time down in Florida changed him. Maybe he's always been this way.

_Maybe you're falling for him,_ a voice in her head told her.

_No, I'm not_, she shot back. _He has a crush on Liv._

_Well, does Liv like him back?_

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asked her. "If you don't want to do super-spy-sleuthing 'cause you're scared and all, feel free to chicken out now." He sent her a flirty smile and her heart jumped a million feet in the air. He's just naturally flirty, it doesn't mean anything. _Does it?_

_No, he likes Liv!_

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so in. And by the way.." He raised his eyebrow. "I'm totally a better spy than you."

...

"Caroline!" Klaus grinned he saw his girlfriend enter his studio. "You are amazing." He stood and walked over to her.

She smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "I know I'm pretty great," she laughed. "But what for?"

He gave her another quick kiss before leaning over her shoulder to grab the letter on his desk. He waved it in her face and said, "_Someone _sent my art to a seller behind my back."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied.

He nodded sarcastically. "Of course you don't. You know, normally, I'd be mad that you did something like this behind my back. You know how I don't like other people seeing my work.."

"But?" She asked hopefully.

"Read the letter yourself." He handed it to her.

Caroline took the letter and read the first couple of sentences before a huge smile broke out on her face. "Oh my god, baby, this is amazing!" She jumped up and hugged him, and he spun her around. The seller she sent his art to loved it and wanted to buy more of it. He even said something about putting Klaus's art in a few galleries across the country to get him known, and perhaps getting him an agent and get signed on to a company.

"I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for you," he smiled down at her.

"I would do anything for you, you know that."

He grinned. "I do. Which is why I started painting this." He took her hand and led her over to his canvas where he was painting his latest masterpiece. "Further down the letter, it says that they want a new piece to show the art agent to get me signed, so I decided to paint this. It's not done yet, but I think it's coming along nicely."

The canvas was colored darkly at the top except for this one line of light.

"I'm painting people at a party on the bottom later, but the top of the painting is the real hero. The lights-"

"The comet." She noticed what the light was. "The boy saw the comet."

"What?"

"The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning." She grinned and looked up at him. "That is one of my favorite quotes, and that's what you're painting isn't it? The night we met, the party... You're going to paint us meeting, with a comet soaring above us, right?"

He rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. "How'd you figure it out?"

She playfully punched his shoulder. "'Cause I know you so well, doofus."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she locked her hands behind his neck.

"Well," he breathed in her ear. "If you know me so well.. Tell me the quote." He kissed the hollow under her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He then kissed her jaw, her neck, and then the curve of her shoulder.

She breathed heavily. "First; how does me reciting the quote mean I know you so well, and second; I'll never get to reciting it if you don't stop doing that."

He lifted his lips from where they were wondrous things on her body and looked in her eyes. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

She giggled and played with his hair. "It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again. And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meeting."

As he watched her recite the quote, he knew that the quote described his feelings for her painfully well. The day he met her, it was a turning point for him. His life has only seemed to go upwards since the day she walked into his life. He started painting again, he believed in love again, he believed that there _was _a reason for him to be on this planet. No matter where he was born, how he was born, who he grew up with, no matter what Mikael had told him, he was born for the sole purpose of meeting Caroline Elizabeth Forbes. He was born to love her. He was born to know her, and to know that there is good in this world. That he meant something.

"I don't think you know how much I love you," he whispered. The two looked into each others eyes and felt like they would break if they looked away.

She smiled. "Maybe not.. But I do know how much _I_ love you. And.. I'm not saying we're not going to last, because I hope to god that we will, but if for some twisted version of fate, we don't.. 20 years from now, if I look back to this day, to these past four years with you, and I remember how I feel right now, I think I'll be okay with that."

"Really?"

She nodded. "You make me feel like I can fly. You make me feel like I'm.. Worth something."

"You're worth more than I deserve."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Hey, want to hear a crazy idea?"

"Hmm.." He played with the stands of her hair at the end of her braid.

"We should get matching tattoos!"

He chuckled and looked at her. "What?"

"Tattoos! You have one on your back and your chest, and I think it's incredibly sexy, but I don't have any and I really want one. And I want to have one with you."

"Why?"

"You know how I was saying 20 years from now, if we're not together and blah blah blah, well I want a reminder of us. On my body. Forever. I'm positive that you're the love of my life, so why not brand it on myself? When I was younger, I always wanted a tattoo but my mom always said no, wait until you're eighteen, but when I turned eighteen I didn't know what I wanted. I always said that when I got tattoo, I'd get one that means something. I never understood what I wanted until now. _You're what I want_. And not just as my tattoo, but as the love of my life. I know it's weird that I'm saying this now, but I've felt this way for a really long time. And to be honest, as much as I've loved you the past four years, I never thought this- what we have, could last forever. I was just living in the moment. But a couple of weeks ago.. I don't know where the turning point was, but I just know I've reached it. I want to spend forever with you. You _are _the love of my life. I know this now. And I'm not afraid to let the world know. Which is also why I sent out your art. I sent out a few of me because those are what speaks about us the most, but I sent out one you made about the anger you had about your father. And the one you painted about your family.. I just.. You deserve the world, and your art is incredibly good and I wanted the world to know that my boyfriend is the most talented, sexiest man on that planet."

Klaus was speechless. Well.. "God, Caroline. This sounds like a proposal. Are you asking me to marry you?" He joked.

She broke out laughing. "No, silly. I mean.. I'm proposing to love you forever. And I used to think that I needed a big white wedding to live happily ever after, but if you never want to go down that road, I'm happy just knowing we're us and we will be loving each other until we die."

"I think you already wrote your vows, love."

She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "Wait, are you saying..?"

"I _do_ want to marry you, Caroline. I love you. I've known you were the one since the moment I met you. _The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. _You're the comet, Caroline. You're _my _comet."

"And now, I think you've just written your vow," she teased.

"I'm serious," he told her.

She nodded and tried to speak but he continued.

"Marry me."

* * *

**Ooh cliff hanger! Will Caroline say yes to Klaus? Will the two of them get matching tattoos? What should the tattoo be? Did you guys like me including that OTH quote? **

**Are you guys liking Tyler and Lexi teaming up? Don't worry, Parkwood is endgame, but what do you guys think about Lexi falling for Tyler? **

**What will Finn and Sage do about Esther? And thank god Freya saved Tate! What do you guys think of Freya? **

**What did you guys think of Damon and Stefan's mom? That was just a random scene I wanted to include, and I'll have you know that I wrote this scene _before _their mom came back on TVD, lol I didn't take the idea from the show, I actually thought of it like last month. **

**And finally, Katherine and Elijah are having twins! How excited are you Kalijah shippers? **

**So.. Please review with thoughts on this chapter, thoughts on what you think will happen next.. Just review! Until next time :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been a couple of weeks since I last updated! In my defense: I had a lot of homework, and I was busy reading, plus I didn't know what to write. But there's Klaroline, Janna, April/Rebekah, and Kolijah moments, as well as a view into Kai's story! I hope you guys enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own this world of vampires, witches, and originals.**

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Caroline exclaimed as she and Klaus walked into the tattoo parlor. She looked around and saw all the designs, the needles, and the people who may look tough but she had no doubt that they were the nicest people in the world. Appearances can be deceiving. "I feel.. Wild. And dangerous!"

Klaus chuckled at his girlfriend. When she tries to be tough, she just ends up looking like a puppy trying to beat up a ball of yarn. But he finds it adorable and can't help falling in love with her more.

"We're so badass," she whispered before slapping his ass and walking up to the counter. He couldn't help but laugh harder and louder as he followed her. She turned around and scowled at him, "Stop laughing at me!"

He tried to stop. "I'm sorry.. I just.." He clearly failed.

She slapped his shoulder in annoyance. "Stop! Do you want to get this done or not?"

He nodded. "I do.. My lovely _fiancé._" He tried out the word and he loved the sound of it. So did she, because the cheery blonde blushed and broke out into a smile.

"You don't get to call me that until you buy me a ring," she teased.

"You're the one who wanted to get the tattoo first." He held his hands up in defense.

"Good, your hands are where I can see them. I won't have my mom arrest you now."

"Let me guess; my crime is being too devilishly handsome?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She cupped his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. She pulled away, much to both their dismay, and grinned.

"And a brilliant kisser. You sir, are under arrest."

He chuckled and breathed in her ear. "What can I do to get the charges dropped?" He asked, suggestively.

"I have a few ideas.." she smirked. "But we're here on official business and we can't have sex in front of a bunch of strangers."

"But that's something I've always wanted to try," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder affectionately before turning around to walk back to the front counter.

"Hello!" She greeted the man behind the counter. He was fairly tall and bulky with tattoos covering his body from head to toe. He had hoops in both his ears and his nose. He looked up from his book and stared at her. "Me and my fiancé would like to get some tattoos!"

Klaus just stared at his fiancé. She seemed so excited and bright in a place that was literally in a cave. He gave the guy behind the counter a look that said _touch her or say something you'll regret, you'll have to go through me so don't even dare. _

The tattoo artist, whose name tag read _Billy,_ grinned. "Let me guess; matching tattoos?" His voice was soft, comforting and upbeat, and Klaus knew that looks really _were _deceiving.

"Well, that _and _I would also like to get three tattoos on my own," Caroline explained.

Klaus raised his eyebrow in question. "I thought you said you never knew what you wanted to get?"

She shrugged. "I may have exaggerated... There were two tattoos, a bird and a star, that I've always wanted but I never had the motivation to actually go get them. But now that we're getting one, I might as well get them all while I'm here!"

"What's the third one?" He asked.

"That's a secret," she chastely kissed his cheek.

"Hey, little lady," Billy spoke up. "Mind picking out your tattoos for me so I can get the ink ready?"

Caroline nodded and took the pen and paper and started sketching her three tattoos.

"So what kind of matching tattoo are you guys getting?" Billy asked.

"We don't know yet, actually," Klaus answered.

"Oh, well then I could suggest the famous infinity sign. But here at the _Darkstar Ink _we are known for doing great key-and-lock tattoos. Puzzle pieces are a specialty too."

Caroline finished her sketch of the three tattoos on her own. "Here," she slid the paper over to Billy. "And I don't know about the matching tattoos. I kind of want his name.. How boring that idea is, I'm incredibly cliché."

"No, it's not cliché at all! That is actually the most popular thing we do: people's names. But obviously, no one has the same name so it's not easy to advertise."

"What about a king and queen crown?" Klaus suggested.

"Ooh, I like that," Caroline nodded.

"I could do a small crown above your name.. Say do either of your names have an 'I' in it? By the way, I might as well get your names now."

"Oh, yeah. I'm Caroline, and he's Niklaus."

Klaus groaned, "Why must you tattoo my full name on your body?"

"Because I love your name." She turned to Billy and asked, "Don't you love his name?"

"Niklaus is very original," Billy laughed and agreed with Caroline.

"I prefer to go by Klaus. And my siblings and this one here call me Nik sometimes."

"But when you write our names, can you do like fancy handwriting?" Caroline changed the subject.

"Totally," Billy nodded.

Klaus thought for a moment and thought back to when he proposed to her not even an hour ago. "I would also like to get another tattoo."

Caroline turned her head. "Oh come on, I thought I was catching up to you!" She explained to Billy, "He already has three." She turned back to her fiancé. "What are you going to get?"

Nik chuckled. "_That_ is a secret," he repeated her earlier words before he kissed her forehead. He took a sheet of paper and sketched his 'secret' tattoo, while keeping out of Caroline's vision, before folding it and handing it across the counter to Billy, who was just finishing sketching the names and crowns.

"Here are the names," Billy showed them the model. "If you don't like it, I could do it again-"

"No, I think it's perfect!" Caroline smiled. "Right, Nik?" She nudged him.

"Yeah, it looks good." Klaus nodded in agreement.

"Alrighty then! Let me call Jen and we can take you to the chairs."

As Billy disappeared behind the curtain, the blonde couple turned to each other.

"He seems really sweet!" Caroline acknowledged. "And this is really exciting, I can't believe we're doing this."

"Relax love," he said as he rubbed her shoulders. "We're getting tattoos, not robbing a bank."

She nodded and rolled her eyes. "I _know_. And after this, we're going to the jewelry store to pick out an engagement ring, right?"

Nik nodded. "Of course. You must be escastic, you can pick it out yourself," he teased.

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. But before their lips could connect, Billy came out with his coworker Jen.

"We're ready for you two love-birds!"

After five long hours of body painting, Klaus and Caroline were finally at the Mystic Falls jewelry store.

"Ow.." Caroline said as she rubbed her wrist. "Are these supposed to hurt?" She asked the blonde beside her.

He chuckled and rubbed the top of her back lightly. He didn't want to touch her lower back without making her feel pain. "You got four tattoos at once, give it a few days to heal."

Caroline did indeed get four tattoos. The two tattoos she had wanted forever included a bird on her left wrist and a star on her right foot. The matching tattoo she had gotten with Klaus was his name on her left hipbone, and he had gotten his tattoo in the same place. Both of the 'i's in their names were dotted with small little king/queen crowns, which Klaus felt fitting because he likes to believe he is a king and she is his queen. The 'secret' tattoo Caroline had gotten was angel wings with ten feathers on her lower back. The ten feathers stood for the ten people in her life that she loves, or has loved, and the closest friends she has in her life, as well as a feather for each of her parents.

As for Klaus, his 'secret' tattoo was the quote _"the boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning," _which he had gotten on his inner right forearm. And then there was _10/31/09 _written under the quote to represent the day "the boy saw the comet" otherwise known as the day Klaus and Caroline had officially met (and the day he fell in love with her). When Caroline saw the tattoo, she started tearing up a bit. She was so happy that someone loved her _that much. _

"What can I do for you two?" The lady working at the door asked. Her name tag read, _Sasha. _

Klaus was the one to speak this time. "We're looking for an engagement ring."

"Ohh how exciting!" She exclaimed. "You two are such a cute couple! Let me bring you over.." She trailed off as she turned away and led the two over to the counter where the store held the engagement rings.

Caroline couldn't contain her smile as she scanned the line of rings. They were all _beautiful, _but none of them popped out at her. Until _the one_.

This ring was a simple, think silver band with a huge square diamond in the middle. There were jewels covering one third of the band around the diamond, which shown in sunlight would sparkle. There were tiny specks of blue inside the design of the diamond, but she didn't mind because she took one look at it and it drew her in. It was _perfect. _

"Do you find one you like, love?" Klaus asked, breaking her out of her thoughts of admiration.

She nodded and let out a tiny squeal before taking a deep breath. "That one."

_..._

Anna grinned when she heard a car pull up outside her mother's house. She took a quick look in the mirror to fix her hair and made sure she looked presentable. When she decided she looked decent, she took a deep breath. This was a big night for her: Jeremy was coming over to meet her mom, Pearl Zhu. Not many of her boyfriends make it to meet her mother. Not to mention; the woman is incredibly protective over her daughter, and insanely judgmental on the male population. She was incredibly excited yet nervous for her two favorite people in the world to finally meet.

The doorbell rang and she almost tripped over her own feet as she raced to the foyer. "Mom! He's here!" She called to her mom, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

She reached the door and took a deep breath. She didn't need to seem all worked up. She wasn't usually so agitated about this kind of stuff, but the way he makes her feel.. is indescribable. She's pretty sure she's in love with him. He was incredibly sweet, kind, funny, and very attractive. He made her laugh and smile, which is something she hadn't done in a while, despite the front she puts up at work. He's very hard-working, and he's such a great father to his daughter, Emma, that sometimes her heart can't take it. She has met Emma numerous times and Anna couldn't help but love her too. Thankfully, Emma enjoys her company too, and even "approves" of her father's relationship. There was an instant she actually went up to them when they were watching her and said that. It made them laugh, but it also made Anna's heart swell.

"Are you going to answer the door or have the poor boy wait in the rain all day?" Pearl laughed as she entered the foyer behind her daughter.

"Oh, right," Anna blushed slightly as she turned the knob. As the door opened, there stood the one-and-only Jeremy Gilbert. Anna's smile brightened when she saw him smile at her. The two were still in the puppy-love part of their relationship, but they didn't mind. If it meant being especially happy when the other's around, sign them up.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi! Please come on in," she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the pouring rain. "This is my mom, Pearl. Mom, this is Jeremy."

Pearl held out her hand and Jeremy shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss. Zhu," Jeremy nodded.

"You too, Jeremy. She talks about you so much I was beginning to wonder if you were even real," she joked.

"Mo-om," Anna glared. "Don't embarrass me," she hissed.

"Oh, don't mind her." Pearl laughed. "She finds everything I do embarrassing."

"Well, yeah. I'm 22 years old and I still live with my mom," Anna scoffed.

"You just graduated from your four year program, and now she gets to move up to a child development program. I'm so proud of her." Anna rolled her eyes as her mom did the whole _"my child did this and that"_ speech.

"That's enough of that. We don't want to bore Jeremy-"

"Would you like to see her baby photos?" Pearl asked (only to get a rise out of her daughter).

"MOM!" Anna screamed.

"Now, Anna, there's no screaming when we have dinner guests," Pearl teased her daughter.

"Mo-o-om," she groaned.

Jeremy just stood between the two women trying to contain his laughter. When Elena moved in with Damon, and Jenna and Alaric moved out of the Gilbert House to their apartment to give him space for Bonnie and Emma all those years ago, he had lost the family-fighting-matter. He missed all the arguments and fighting if he's being honest.

"I think I'm liking this family already," Jeremy concluded. Anna looked at him through embarrassed eyes in awe.

"And I think I'm liking this one, Anna," Pearl told her daughter. "Come on, you two. Dinner is almost ready.."

Five minutes later, the three were seated at the dinner table and having a intriguing conversation.

"So.. Anna tells me you have a daughter, Jeremy?" Pearl asked.

Jeremy nodded. "Yes.. Her name is Emma, she's from a previous relationship."

"How old were you when you had her?"

Anna sighed in annoyance. "Oh, mom. Don't do this. Jeremy is a great father, I've seen him with Emma and they're the loveliest duo in the world."

"I wasn't even saying anything!" Pearl defended herself. "I was just asking him questions about his life, is that a crime?"

"With you it is," Anna muttered.

"Anna," Jeremy gently touched her knee. "It's okay. I don't mind letting your mom know stuff about me. I've got nothing to hide."

"I know you don't, I just don't want you to feel like your privacy is being invaded."

He shot her a smile. "It's not. It's fine, trust me." He turned back to the older woman. "Any other questions?"

As Pearl noticed the way this man looked at her daughter, she really didn't need to know anything else. She knew her daughter was in love; she talked about him all the time and started smiling more. But she hadn't been sure where he was in this relationship. Just seeing how he looked at her, she knew.

She shook her head. "No, actually. I think Jeremy.. I'm sorry, I don't think I got your last name.. But I think you're a very good man. I am glad my daughter has found someone like you."

Anna's face brightened. "Really?" She grinned.

Jeremy's mouth twitched into a smile too. "Thank you, Miss. Zhu. Oh, and my last name is Gilbert."

And with that, everything went downhill. Pearl dropped her fork on the floor in shock. Anna and Jeremy both stared at her.

"Gilbert?" Her voice cracked.

"Yeah.. Is that a problem?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, uhm.. Are you happened to be related to John Gilbert?"

"He's my Uncle."

Pearl sighed. "I am very sorry, but I don't approve of this relationship anymore."

Anna's jaw dropped and Jeremy just sat there dumbfounded.

"Because he's a _Gilbert_?! What's wrong with this John character?" Anna cried.

"I just don't like his family. No offense, but they're all snobs and bastards."

"Mom!" Anna accused.

Jeremy just laughed. "Oh John.. Let me guess: he broke your heart and somehow my family was involved and you just hate everyone now, don't you? Well first: I am not my family, second: John _is _an asshole, I'll agree to that, and third: you shouldn't hate me or the rest of my family for some petty reason. I won't tolerate you saying things about my parents or my sister." With his final words, he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Anna started freaking out.

"I don't need this," he said before walking out of the kitchen.

When she heard the door slam, all she wanted to do was break down and cry. But instead she stood up and yelled at her mother. "Jeremy is not his family! How can you say he's a great person one minute and then all the sudden disapprove of him the second you find out what family he belongs to! What is wrong with you?"

"John is not the only bad person in that family. I just want you to be careful!"

"But Jeremy isn't even John's son! His actual parents are dead."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but they weren't the nicest people e-"

"But he's not his parents! I think Jeremy and his sister turned out just fine! You're unbelievable." Anna scoffed before stomping out towards the front door.

"Anna!" Her mom cried when the door slam once again. She sighed and put her head in her hands. She had royally screwed up. She didn't even know what came over her. Jeremy _is _a nice young man. She would be lucky to have him as a son-in-law. If she's being honest; every other boyfriend Anna has ever had was an asshole and broke her heart. But there was something about Jeremy that told Pearl that he wouldn't do that to her daughter. She trusted him.

She just didn't trust his family.

Or, well, _herself _with his family.

She didn't want to have to face them at family gatherings if Jeremy and Anna got married in the future. She was selfish. Her feelings took control of her mouth when she didn't even mean half of what she said. And it cost her the only thing she had left in this lifetime: her daughter.

Anna followed Jeremy to his car, which was having trouble opening. "Jeremy!" She ran towards him. "Please don't leave!"

"Your mom clearly doesn't want me here," he stated.

The rain started coming down harder, and the two of them were already soaked.

"Please. I want you here. I don't care what she says. This will all blow over, _please._" She pleaded as she grabbed his hands and held them.

He stared at her. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to stay, but he knew he had to go. It made things more difficult as all he wanted to do was be with her.

"Anna.." He whispered as he gently caressed her face. "I love you.."

"Then stay." She couldn't even comprehend what he just said. She couldn't even remember if he had said those three words before, this was probably the first time. "I love you, too. And I am asking you to stay." The thunder roaring above their heads made it impossible for them to hear each other. Jeremy could faintly read her lips say _I love you _and all he wanted to do was stand out in the rain and kiss her until neither of them could breathe.

"I _can't._"

Anna glanced at the house and felt a surge of anger. She loved her mother, but sometimes the older woman just doesn't understand. She loved Jeremy with all of her heart, and she wasn't going to listen to her mother's disapproval. She knew Jeremy wasn't going to hurt her. She knew he loved her. She felt safe with him. More safer than in that house. She looked up into her boyfriend's dark brown eyes. Every time she stared at him, she got lost in his beauty. The mole on the side of his face that he hated, she loved so much. She found it adorable. She knew what she wanted to do. "Then I'll come with you," she declared.

"You want to leave?" He asked to make sure she actually wanted to leave with him. He feared she would regret leaving her mother. He didn't want to be the reason she lost her familial relationship.

She nodded and stood on her tip-toes to bring his lips to hers. The rain was running down their bodies making them stick to each other. She tangled her fingered in his hair. His hands trailed from her face down her body and rested on her hips, pulling her closer. He bit her lip, asking for permission. She gladly granted. As their tongues battled for dominance, Jeremy pushed her against the car. They broke away for air, but got drowned in the rain.

"We should head back to my place," he whispered in her ear. She nodded in agreement.

They then hopped in his car, and drove away.

...

"But April!" Rebekah cried. The two were walking down the street of the square talking about Rebekah and Matt's upcoming wedding where April was _supposed _to be one of the bridesmaids.

"Hey, I would _love _to be a bridesmaid, but I would rather be the one to declare you and Matt married!" April said.

"Is that even legal? You're not even a pastor.."

"But I am the pastor's daughter. And plus, you only need a license to marry two people.. You don't even need to be part of the church. Basically anybody could marry someone. And I did the math, I can be able to legally do it by December! Come on, I want to marry you two. I _am _your guys' best friend," she nudged the blonde.

"I know and that's the problem. Because besides you, I only have one other best friend, and Matt has five other best friends, but you're _our _best friend. And you're the only bridesmaid I have that I actually _like. _You can't do this to me!"

"What about.. What's her name.. Hayley?" April asked.

"She's my maid of honor, there's a difference. I have other girlfriends from back home, but none of them will be able to make it down here in time so they're just going to be guests. Hayley's coming down a couple of weeks before so it makes sense. But anyway, if you do this I'll be down a bridesmaid. You can't do this to me!"

"So you've said," April joked. "But seriously-"

"No. I don't know any other girls! I am already tolerating Caroline, Katherine, Sage, Bonnie, and Elena, please don't do this to me!"

"Hey, I'll still be a part of the wedding!"

"But it won't be the same," Rebekah pouted. "You're the closest friend I've made here, besides Matt and Stefan.. I need you.."

"What about your sister?"

"Ugh, what about her?" The blonde scoffed.

"How about she takes my place," the blue-eyed beauty suggested.

"Never. In a million years. I barely know her."

"Come on.. There's tons of girls we know.. Uhm, what about Lexi?"

"Eh, I've only talked to her like twice. It'd be weird if I asked her to be in the wedding. Matt and I barely know her."

"Jeremy's new girlfriend, Anna?"

"Again, I haven't even met her. Matt has, but it's not the same as why Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena are a part of the wedding."

"Elena and Jeremy's Aunt Jenna?"

"Nope."

"Damon's friend, Rose?"

"Who? See, April! I don't have any girl friends. This is why I need you!"

April chuckled. "If you have no friends.. who's even part of the wedding?"

"Well.. My maid of honor is Hayley, who will be coming down from my old town a few weeks before the wedding. Jeremy is the best man. Matt made me have Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Katherine, and Sage be my bridesmaids because the first three are his best friends, and the last four are technically my sisters-in-laws and that it's only fair that I have them in my bridal party if he has my brothers in his. Oh, and Stefan and Damon are also in the wedding. We don't know whose walking down with who yet, it depends on which one of my brothers I pick to walk me down the aisle: whoever I choose, their partner is going to walk down with a Salvatore brother, and if its Caroline or Katherine they'd prefer Stefan, but if its Bonnie or Sage then they'd choose Damon. So, the remaining Salvatore would have walked down with you."

"Why doesn't Elena just walk down with Damon?"

"Because she's walking down with Tyler! He's Matt's other best friend and Elena's the one I can tolerate the most."

"But why didn't I walk down with Tyler if _I _am _your _other best friend?"

Rebekah paused. "I don't know, okay? This whole thing is very stressful," she snapped. "Oh! Emma is the flower girl, and Chris and Tate are the ring bearers. Chris brings Matt his ring, and Tate brings me mine."

"Aww, well that's cute! But I'm still going to be in the wedding. And I'll help you pick out your dress and everything I can."

"I know.." the blonde sighed. "And I don't trust anyone else to marry us, which is weird considering you don't even have your license yet. But, I just don't know who to replace you with and it just added on to my stress."

April's eyes looked over Rebekah's shoulder and she blinked. "Your sister."

"I already told you, she's not-"

"No, I mean your sister is _right there._" The brunette grabbed the blonde's shoulder and spun her around. There was Freya trying to buy a coffee, but this guy kept bothering her. He was visibly older than her, but he was just talking so Rebekah didn't see the big deal. He could have just been welcoming her to town.

"She looks fine," Rebekah shrugged.

"No, the guy. Look closer."

The betrothed squinted her eyes and she could faintly see his hand try to hike up her skirt. Freya looked as though she was wearing a bathing suit which made Rebekah think she was at Finn's for the day because she heard something about that from Elijah. She kept staring and saw Freya shoot the guy's hand away as she moved away from the counter. She could barely see the young girl mouth the words _"leave me alone," _but the guy kept talking to her and rested his hand on her lower back. She turned towards him and tried to push him away but he grabbed her wrist violently. He then rubbed his thumb over her cheek trying to caress her face. She tried to shoot his hand away but he held a tight grip on her wrist. Freya looked so uncomfortable and it made Rebekah's blood boil. It didn't matter who this girl was, she was _not_ okay with older guys taking advantage of young girls.

"Rebekah, what are you doing-" the words could barely escape April's mouth before Rebekah rushed inside the coffee shop and grabbed the guy's shoulder, yanking him away from Freya.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She scolded the guy.

"Jesus, babe, I was just trying to kiss this pretty girl-"

"Yeah, well she's fourteen, you idiot! And I am pretty sure she kept saying _no_."

"Woah, wait, you're fourteen?" the guy turned to Freya, who still looked uncomfortable. Who knew it would be _Rebekah _that would be her savior?

She nodded.

"Woah, I'm sorry! I thought you were eighteen-"

"It doesn't matter if you thought that, because you would have proceeded to _rape _her even if she was of age. You disgust me," Rebekah spat.

He shook his head. "I was not going to rape her! I was just hitting on her.." He looked Rebekah up and down and then winked at her. "Well what about you? You look my age and you're smokin'-"

"Yeah, and I'm engaged." She held up her left hand to show him her ring. "Now, leave before I kick your ass all the way to hell for being a disrespecting, rude, sexist, idiotic, bastard!" She turned him around and pushed him out the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when he started running away from the coffee shop. She turned back to the young girl who just so happened to be the sister she 'hated.' She cautiously stepped closer. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Freya nodded. "You didn't have to do that.."

"I wanted to.. I don't like seeing guys taking advantage of young girls, or any girl for that matter. Despite you not being my favorite person at the moment, you're still my.. _sister.._ and I like the idea of us girls sticking together. Especially when it comes to misogynist dickheads."

Freya laughed and shared a smile with the older blonde for the first time. "Well, thank you-"

"Coffee for Freya!" the guy behind the counter announced.

Freya picked up her coffee. She turned back to Rebekah who was staring at the floor.

"Anyway.. I better get back to Finn's house.. They let me go wonder the town and get coffee on my own. Apparently, that's how they met when your family first moved here- how romantic!"

Rebekah slightly chuckled. "Okay.. Well, I'll see you sometime.." As the two exited the café and started to turn their separate ways, she suddenly felt guilty and turned around. "Wait, Freya."

The younger sister turned around. "Yeah?"

The older blonde sighed. "Would you like a ride to Finn's? I'm hanging with my friend, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind.." _In fact, she's probably encouraging me right now in her head. _

Freya grinned. "Yeah, that'd be great."

...

Kai stared at himself in the mirror. He didn't know what to do. It felt as though everywhere he turned, he was shunned for his past decisions. He _has_ changed. Being in prison changed him. He never wanted to go back. He came back to Mystic Falls to make up for his mistakes. Besides his family, the people he hurt the most were Bonnie, Damon, and Elena. They live here, as well as his siblings Olivia and Lukas. They go to college just outside the boarder of the small town.

He's a better person now, and he didn't know how else to prove it. The more people who turned him away, the more he wanted to lash out. He couldn't afford to lash out, because then he'd be the monster everyone feared he was. True, he did some unspeakable things. But he had his reasons. The way people treated him all of his life just because he was _different. _He thought differently; he wasn't the best with feelings or communication. But that doesn't mean he couldn't feel anything. He felt _anger, and hatred, and pain. _Especially the pleasure from causing other people pain.

But now.. Something changed. He couldn't quite explain it. But he actually felt _regret _and _guilt _for what he did. He murdered four of his siblings and his own mother because he was angry at the twins and his father for reasons he couldn't explain. His father was emotionally abusive, especially to him. He couldn't help it if he snapped. The family company was supposed to _his, _but the twins got everything because him and Jo, mostly him, weren't suitable enough. It's not like their father hated his oldest children, in fact Jo _is _his favorite overall. But Kai.. Well, Joshua Parker finds his oldest son to be the biggest mistake he ever made. The other four were like collateral damage.

It's not like Kai was completely heartless _back then. _He did spare his twin's life. He gutted her, but he let her live. He wouldn't have given the younger set of twins the same satisfaction. They got _everything _he ever wanted. But he was saving the best, most gruesome death for last. His father.

Kai shook his head. He shouldn't be reminiscing on his past self. That's in the past.

He had committed his murder while he was still in college at Whitmore. (He had gone to college so far away from home because he couldn't handle being near those people anymore). It happened around the time he asked Bonnie to tutor him. He started having these _thoughts. _No, not sexual thoughts. More like.. Murderous thoughts. He needed to find someone who would help distract him. A kind, smart, beautiful, pregnant woman seemed like the perfect candidate. But he started going crazy, and his mind just turned.. rotten.

Not to mention, when he was at a party, he was pressured into smoking. He kind of got addicted, but his drug abuse had nothing to do with his actions. He made those decisions while completely sober. Although, the drugs did not help his case.

After attempting something with his lovely tutor, Elena had found his stash and flushed them down the toilet, threatening to tell the Dean and get him expelled for what he did to her friend. She kept her promise, that's for sure.

And he wanted, no _needed_ to get revenge. So, he kidnapped her. He went home after his expulsion and when his dad yelled at him, even hit him, and said things that drove Kai crazy, well.. he snapped. He killed over half of his family. After realizing what he had done, and not wanting to get sent to jail by his father, he drove back to Mystic Falls and took the person who hit the trigger in his life.

When her friends found her, things didn't get pretty-

Why was he thinking about this? He shouldn't. He was trying to change. He wanted to be accepted. It's all he wanted his whole life. He made some decisions that he now knows is wrong. There's nothing he can do to change it. He knows there's a reason people don't trust him. He knows people hate him. He respects that. But he'll try everything he can to prove to people that he's different. If they ask him what made him change.. just the idea of being locked up forever. Hearing all his cell mates say what they lost and what they gave up. Kai never _had _anything to lose to begin with: that was probably why it was easy to be despicable. It was why he didn't care if he died in there. He would have killed himself just to be put out of misery.

But then he realized that he didn't want to die there. He wanted to find something worth living for. _That _was worth living for. The need to want something.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment his heart allowed him to feel something. He never actually believed he had a heart. But he did.

And fear is what drove it.

...

_"Congratulations!"_ Kol exclaimed over the phone to his older brother. _"Twins.. Wow. I guess you and the nuisance have kept busy."_

Elijah's smile faded into a groan from the nickname Klaus gave his wife that has caught on to the rest of his siblings. Not to mention, sexual innuendos from his siblings make him uncomfortable, especially from the youngest male.

"Kol, do you have anything else to do than suggest what me and my wife do in our free time?" Elijah asked.

He heard his youngest brother laugh. _"It's not like it's a secret. She's pregnant, for gods sake. And plus, it's Katherine. You're so whipped, she probably got you to screw her in the backseat of her car on the first date."_

Elijah sighed. "How do you even know that?"

Kol's laughed continued. _"I'm everywhere, brother."_

"I don't even want to know."

_"Sorry. But seriously.. How do you feel about this? Becoming a father to not only for one child, but two?"_

"I honestly don't even know, brother. When Katherine first told me she was pregnant, I was incredibly happy because I've always wanted to have a family with her. Having a family has always been a dream of mine. But then it actually kicked in that I was actually going to be responsible for another human being. That scared me. I never had a _good _father figure so I don't have any good footsteps to follow.. I never thought I could do it. I'm not an angry person, but I just have this fear that one day I could just snap and my son or daughter would be there. But Katherine believes in me so much.. I just know I won't be able to let her down. And seeing Finn with Tate.. If he can do it, then why can't I? I just feel bad for Niklaus if ever has children because he had it worst than any of us put together, and he's the sibling with actual anger problems. But he has a soft spot for kids, who would've thought? We all do actually.. I don't think I have any reasons to be nervous anymore."

_"Of course you don't, 'Lijah! You are great with kids, and you know you practically raised me, Nik, and Bekah. You are one of the best people I know; the bravest and kindest man on the planet. Your twins, your son and daughter, will be the luckiest little brats in the world because they get you as their father."_

Elijah smiled at his brother's words. "Thank you."

_"And plus: they get me as their Uncle Kol and I'm going to spoil the hell out of them."_

"You're going to need to fight Rebekah _and _Elena on that," Elijah chuckled.

_"Shit, I forgot. Elena and Jeremy will be these kids Aunt and Uncle too. But anyway.. Seriously, I think all of us will be scared to the moon about becoming parents.. Hell, Emma's not even my kid, and I'm all of the sudden scared I'll screw something up. I didn't even think I would feel this way.. I used to think I didn't have to worry because if I do something wrong by her, she wouldn't blame me because I'm not her actual father. But she thinks of me as her second father.. And as much as it warms my heart, it also scares the shit out of me."_

"Brother.. If you and Bonnie ever have a child, you'll be a great father. And if not.. You're still doing great with Emma. I think you'll be fine. You and me both; we'll be fine."

_"I know we will." _Kol smiled from his line. Elijah couldn't help but smile, too.

* * *

**Ew I'm so sorry my writing is not at its best this chapter. I feel like there wasn't enough description and the dialogue was too choppy.. Oh well. **

**We got a little insight on Kai's story.. I'll be giving away little by little, I won't say everything all at once. Lol it helps keep suspense, but I'm sure if you tried you could guess at what he did. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Have a great week and I'll see you guys next time :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! It's been a few weeks since my last update, I apologize. This chapter was coming naturally, but then it wasn't, and then it was, and I don't even know. I was just busy exercising and reading, and I had a bunch of testing this week, but all my shows ended and I had to catch up on them, so I'm just a mess haha. **

**But here is a brand new chapter! All of the scenes are really short, and I don't know why, but there's like eight scenes so hopefully it evens out. **

**I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.**

* * *

_*2 weeks later*_

"I really don't want to do this.." Sage sighed as she slammed the car door.

Her husband glared at the building before them. He glanced at the ground before turning his attention to her. "We have to. Besides, you're the one making me do this, you can't back out now."

She laughed harshly as they walked in step into the building. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you do this alone."

Finn gave her a small smile before turning to the front desk. "Hello, I'm here to pay a visit to my mother. Esther Mikaelson."

"Sign in," was all the lady behind the desk said. Finn picked up the pen and signed his name, the date, and time in the correct slots.

The couple turned around and started walking side by side down the hallway. When they reached Esther's bedroom, they both paused. Sage could tell her husband was nervous; this was a big thing he was doing. She kissed his shoulder and affectionately rubbed his arm. She whispered in his ear, "You can do this. I am right here for you."

He nodded and turned his head slightly to kiss her forehead. Then he took three steps forward, knocking on the wall as he walked through the doorway with her right behind him.

Esther looked up from where she was reading on her bed and smiled at the two of them. "Finn! I wasn't expecting you so soon.. And Sage, it's wonderful to see you!"

Sage just shot her mother-in-law a fake smile. She stood next to her husband with her hands behind her back and her teeth biting her tongue so she wouldn't do or say anything that could get her in trouble.

Finn nodded and smiled at his mother- a genuine smile, because no matter what people have done to him, especially his mother, he's still kind and willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. But the more he thinks this over, the more he realizes this is the best decision for him, his son, his siblings, and basically everyone. People say it's Elijah that is the moral and forgiving one, but despite Finn's quietness, he's actually the "golden child."

"How are you doing?" Finn asked. Sage elbowed him and he gave her a look that said _in a minute._

Esther looked at the pair questioningly, but answered the question anyway. "Eh, I'm doing as well as anyone in my position is doing. I just wish I had more visitors..."

Sage rolled her eyes, and Finn glanced at the ground guiltily.

"Okay, what is up with you two? I know you did not come here to see how I am doing. Why did you come?" Esther asked.

The eldest Mikaelson child took a deep breath before ripping the bandaid off. "We're here to tell you that this is the last time I'll ever be seeing you," he said sternly.

Esther raised her eyes to look at her daughter-in-law. "And somehow I doubt this is your decision, my son-"

"I had nothing to do with this," Sage interrupted. "Finn is a grown man who can think for himself and doesn't need your manipulative ass screwing up his life!"

"Sage, please.." Finn gently touched her shoulder. He turned back to his mother. Every time he looked at her, more hate filled his soul and he knew he had to tell her what she makes him feel, and how it was too late to make amends. She made her choices, and now it was time for him to make his. "I want you to know that you broke me. Ever since I was born, you acted like you were able to depend on me. I believed you. I wanted to make you proud. Every time you left and came back, I was ready to forgive you. I forgave so many things you did. Until there were just some things that couldn't be forgiven. I am just done with all of the lies, and I hope you know how much you hurt not only me, but the rest of your children. I hope it stays with you until the day that you die."

"Rebekah will _never _want you at her wedding. Elijah will _never _let you near his children. Klaus and Kol hate you with a passion that's almost funny," Sage continued. "And then there's Freya.. I know you wanted to meet her.."

"And for a while, she wanted to meet you, too. She started out looking for you, but ended up finding us. She doesn't know everything that you have done; we haven't told her much. But she realized that _we did not know about her, _but you did. We accepted her into our family. You left her. Just like you did us. You came back for us, but not her. She has decided not to forgive you nor meet you and hear your side of the story. She doesn't want to take a chance on someone who abandoned her."

"And we have asked her. That girl has been alone for a while, because you made her feel that way. You have to respect her decision, you can't make us bring her here. Nor can you expect us to bring our son here. I know he deserves a goodbye to his grandmother, but I'm just going to be honest.. That boy is exceptional. And so is Freya. Those two are both very special kids who don't deserve to be brought in to your family mess."

"I can't hold up any of our bargains," Finn finished. "I'm sorry, but I never want to see you again. You made mistakes, and it's too late to change them. You can't make up for what you did."

Sage gestured to her purse. "We don't have much money either, but we brought-"

"No, I don't want your money anymore," Esther spoke up. "I shouldn't have even asked for money."

The room was silent.

Esther took a deep breath. She looked at her eldest son and his wife. She had to admire how Sage is so supporting of Finn. How she helps him, and loves him unconditionally. It made her feel like she did something right, because if she hadn't moved her family to that small town, those two never would have met.

"I really am truly sorry for all the pain I've caused. I.. I know it's too late to make amends. I screw up, time after time. Like I said.. You and your siblings got really crappy deals with me and Mikael as your parents. If I could go back and do everything over again, I would."

Sage wanted to roll her eyes at the bullshit she was hearing. This is _exactly _what a manipulator does. She looked at her husband's face and saw that he was buying everything his mother was saying.

"But I can't. And I won't do anything about that anymore, I swear. I will stay out. You kids deserve at least that. No more half attempts at being in your life. If I wanted to be there, I would have never left."

Both Sage and Finn were surprised at the words that left Esther's mouth. Sage looked at the ground, feeling guilty for not thinking Esther was telling the truth.

"Those are mistakes that will carry me to the grave. I have so much guilt, but I'll have to deal with it, or else I might make things worse and die with a heavier weight on my shoulders. Just.. I want to leave this world with some peace at mind.. Promise me that our, _your_ family will be happy. That they don't make the same mistakes I or your father did. And I want you two and little Tate to be happy and healthy and safe." Her voice was breaking at this point. She knew this was the last time she would ever get to say this. "Always and forever."

Sage felt her eyes tear up and she quickly wiped them away before they fell.

Finn smiled and nodded. He knew it was the right thing to say goodbye to her now. Keep his siblings out of everything, but they didn't miss much really. He was proud of his mother for having the courage to let go. The least he could do is give her something to let her go in peace, whenever she does die that is. He looked at his wife, who was usually a bubble full of rage, but now a bubble of emotions. He grabbed her hand and rubbed tiny circles on the back of it. When she gave a slight nod, he turned back to his mother and delivered the last words he would ever say to her.

"Now that is a promise we can keep."

...

Rebekah laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was wracking her brain. She needed to figure out who is going to be her final bridesmaid. Her mind kept falling back to her sister. The car ride had actually been quite fun, but it scared Rebekah that she was letting another person in and so she avoided seeing or speaking to Freya for the next couple of weeks.

The younger girl seemed really sweet and aspiring. Rebekah regretted being a bitch to her. She couldn't help her insecurities any less than Freya could help being born. She wanted to get to know her sister, and the only person stopping her was herself.

She stared at her cell phone. It was laughing at her, she just knew it. The tiny phone that knew she barely had friends, but also knew how much she wanted to dial Elijah's number and ask to speak to Freya.

Or her car keys that knew she wanted to go take her sister to some cafe or a movie to get to know her.

She didn't know why she was suddenly interested in her sister. It was only the other day she wished the girl was non-existent.

Also, she _really_ needed a bridesmaid.

And she felt like being a nicer person. Probably because of the fact that she was marrying the nicest guy in the whole world. She was pretty sure Matt has never said anything bad about anyone in the eight years she has known him. He was rubbing off on her.

_Screw it_, she thought.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number she knew all too well.

"Hello?" A female voice answered the phone.

"Hey, Katherine.." The blonde sighed. "Is Freya there?"

"Oh speak of the devil, and she will call," the brunette's voice said sarcastically. "Rebekah, have you ever heard of cell phones?"

"Yes, I have. But I know my dear brother is working, and I never bothered to learn your cell number-"

"Oh, boo hoo. Why do you want to terrorize your sister? I can give you tips if you want."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I actually want to hang out with her."

"Have you already planned her murder?!" Katherine fake gasped.

"Katherine, if you don't shut up and put my sister on the phone, I will personally go over there and rip out your vocal cords with my teeth." _So much for being a nicer person. _

"Oh, violent now, are we?"

"Oh my god, I swear. You're lucky my brother loves you."

"Yeah, I am." Rebekah wanted to puke at the tone of Katherine's voice- it was all.. lovey. "I can just tell you how he expresses his l-"

"Ew. Just put Freya on the phone."

"Okay. Oh and by the way, you don't know your brother as well as you think you do because he took the day off of work to take me baby shopping so you caught us right on time! We're on our way out so- FREYA!" Rebekah slightly jumped and held the phone away from her ear as her sister-in-law called for her sister. "Here she is. Have fun!"

"Hello?" The younger girl's voice chirped.

The older blonde took a deep breath. "Hey.. It's Rebekah. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies tomorrow night?"

...

"I think we should get white walls," Katherine suggested as her and Elijah strolled through the baby store. "I don't want to do the whole typical 'blue is boy, pink is girl' thing because that is so heteronormative."

Elijah chuckled. "I agree. But I personally don't think white will due.. Babies are messy."

"Black?"

"Too dark and scary."

"Hey, I wear black," she accused.

"And you're very dark and scary," he teased as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.

"It doesn't matter what color we do, honestly. I'm just really excited," Katherine said as she rubbed her stomach. It surprised her how excited and happy she actually was becoming. And how maternal she felt. It surprised her husband, too.

"Really?" Elijah smiled.

"Of course," she returned his smile. "Because I obviously _hate_ kids, but I can make an exception for our little rascals," she teased.

"Personally, I think kids are a great thing-"

"Yeah, that's great and all, but I've heard it all before, babe." Katherine patted Elijah's shoulder comfortingly. Her eyes fell on this medieval, fairytale crib set and her eyes lit up. She knew her little girl would be a princess, and her boy would be a knight of the round table. Although she wants to make the nurseries as gender neutral as possible, this idea could still work. She had always had a soft spot for fairytales, and sometimes she feels like both her and Elijah are old souls from the 1400s.

The cribs were an enchanting shade of black, as well as the rest of the furniture. The walls could be painted in vines and trees, and mythical creatures. Her daughter would have a princess curtain hanging above her crib, and her son could have knights and swords on the walls..

The more she thought of the idea, the more she fell in love with it.

"Elijah! We have to get those sets."

Elijah looked over to where she was looking at, and he had to agree the sets looked beautiful. "A perfect fit for a prince and a princess."

Katherine grinned and bumped his hip. "Well, duh." He grinned down at her and picked up the two sets.

They talked with this guy who worked at the place who suggested the rest of the set they needed to buy, and ideas on how to decorate the rooms. They then bought more necessities for newborn babies, such as diapers, clothing, toys, etc.

"Wow, I can't believe we got all this done today!" Katherine laughed as she climbed into the passanger's seat. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her husband struggling to put the cribs and dressers in the trunk. "Are you sure you don't want a hand?"

"I'm positive!" He grunted. A few minutes later, all of their stuff was put in the back and Elijah climbed into the driver's seat. "And by the way, just because we bought everything today, doesn't mean we're all done. We still have to build and assemble and organize everything."

"I know. You assemble, and I organize. The perfect team," she shot him an innocent smile.

"And we're still doing purple for the walls, right?"

"Correct! A dark, mysterious purple for our medieval prince, and a bright, royal purple for our fairytale princess."

"And you may not have any part in the artistic labor-"

"I would hope not. Only the artistic design."

"Right," he chuckled. "Perhaps, I'll have to call my brothers to help with everything."

"Jeremy works for construction, he would be a good help. If you want. Oh, and I could get the Salvatores and Matt to help-"

"That's a lot of people for two small rooms."

"They're not that small. And we could use all the help we can get."

"I'll take my brothers and your cousin."

She sighed on defeat. "Fine."

"Hey, we have over three months to make everything perfect." He rested his hand on hers and rubbed her knuckles. "And it _will_ be perfect, I promise."

She curled her fingers around his and looked up into his dark hazel eyes. She smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "I love you."

He grinned and kissed her again. "I love you," he now rested his hands on her swollen belly, "and you, and you." He kissed her cheek once more before turning the ignition on, and driving the car out of the parking lot.

...

"I really don't understand why Littlest Gilbert had to come along on our day," Kol jokingly complained as he tickled Emma in her seat.

"Because you and my daddy both love me!" She giggled as she swatted his hands away.

Jeremy laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry man.. But you know Bonnie has all these classes piled up one after the other for the next three weeks and I couldn't find anyone else to watch her-"

"Hey, no problem. I feel like I haven't seen her in a week," Kol said as he watched Emma color in her coloring book.

"I was just over the other night!" She looked up from her book and stuck her tongue out. "And even if my daddy could find a babysitter- who are yuck by the way- I would much rather hang out with you boys!"

Both Jeremy and Kol broke out laughing.

"What?" Emma's little voice pitched. "You two and Chris are my boys!"

"She's so adorable," Kol chuckled as he sipped his drink.

"Hey, she's my daughter first," Jeremy joked.

"We can share," the older brunette shrugged. "But.. I do have a question for you, Gilbert."

"Who, me?" Emma perked up.

"No, your father. You go back to coloring, darling," Kol told the young girl and pointed to her book. She just shrugged, picked up her blue crayon, and continued coloring the dragon.

"What's your question?" Jeremy raised his eyebrow in question.

"So, has like Anna been living with you now or.. What's the deal with you and her?" Kol asked.

"Why, you jealous?" Jeremy smirked.

"Yes, totally," Kol said with a blank face. "My heart breaks at the thought of you with another.. person."

Jeremy laughed and shook his head. "Nothing much.. Her mom disapproves of our relationship because of something John did way back when. Anna frankly doesn't care what her mom thinks, and she came home with me two weeks ago and hasn't really left since. She says her mom tries to contact her, but she doesn't answer."

"Wow.. And what do you think about all of this?"

"I feel bad that she's having a fall out with the only family member she has because of me.. But at the same time, I'm glad she chose me. Does that make me sound selfish?"

"Eh, probably. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to be put first. So, do you love her?"

"I do."

"And have you told her?"

"I have.."

"And has she said it back?"

"God, stop pestering me!"

"You didn't answer the question!"

"Yes, she did!"

"Okay!" Kol chuckled. "I'm happy for you, Jer. I hope things work out with Anna and her mom, but if they don't.. I hope things continue being good for you and her."

"Thanks-"

"I need to pee!" Emma interrupted Kol and Jeremy's conversation. "Like, really bad. Can someone take me? Uncle Matt once told me there was a fire breathing dragon hiding in the hallway, so I'm really scared.."

"Are you sure it wasn't my devil sister?" Kol asked.

"Your sister is a devil?'

"Well.."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and stood up. "Come on, Em. I'll take you. You know, make sure you don't get eaten by the dragon."

"So there _is _a dragon!"

As Jeremy and Emma walked towards the bathroom, Kol called to them, "You shouldn't lie to children!"

"Oh, shush!" Jeremy yelled back. "Your sister probably started it!"

Kol shook his head and laughed. He stared at the table when the door to The Grill opened and in came in this guy. He was wearing a Nirvana t-shirt, which coincidentally is Kol's favorite band.

As the guy walked by Kol's table, the Mikaelson called out, "Hey, I love your shirt!"

The guy, who was Kai Parker (although Kol did not know this), turned around and grinned at the Brit. And Kai did not know who Kol was either. The two share a two degree history, and yet they didn't even know it. In the few short minutes of Jeremy and Emma's absence, the two sparked up a friendly conversation and perhaps a friendship.

"You like this band? I can barely find anyone who likes them anymore!" His blue eyes sparkled that he found someone who did not know who he is or what he has done.

"Oh, I know right. No one seems to appreciate good music these days."

"Agreed! I'm such a 90's kid. Music in those days were great, I always feel like I'm stuck in 1994."

"Ha, I love music dating back to decades ago."

The two talked about other things besides music, and five minutes later, Jeremy and Emma rejoined the table but when Jeremy saw Kai, he grabbed Emma's arm and yanked her behind him. He told her to stay hidden and to stay quiet. He was shocked that Kai showed up, and even more shocked that _Kol _was laughing and having a genuine conversation with some guy who tried to kill Bonnie. Granted, Jeremy knows that his ex-girlfriend wants to keep Kol in the dark about what happened five years ago, but he just doesn't agree with her decision. He understands where she is coming from, and how neither her nor Elena and Damon wanted to dig up ghosts of terror past, but he just thinks his friend deserves to know. He realized he was glaring at Kai, and when he remembered his _five-year-old daughter _was pulling at his sleeve, he suddenly got angry at Kai for being feet away from his little girl.

"Hey Jer!" Kol greeted when he saw his friend and step-daughter. He saw that his friend was tense- did something happen? He glanced back at Kai, who avoided eye contact with Jeremy.

"Jeremy." Kai nodded. "Nice to see you-"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeremy hissed at Kai. He was sheilding Emma, which made Kol curious.

"Listen, dude, I have changed-"

"Why should I care about anything you say? I don't believe you."

"Woah, Jer. What's going on here?" By this point, Kol was standing.

"Kol, do you know who this is?" The Gilbert asked his friend.

"No, I never got his name," the Mikaelson glanced at Kai.

Kai, on the other hand, was staring at Emma. She looked like a younger version of Bonnie, and his heart melted. He honestly felt bad about everything he did.

"Hey, is this little guy yours and Bonnie's daughter?" Kai asked as he leaned down to face her. "She's really cute, looks just like B-"

"Don't talk to her," Jeremy growled.

"Wait.." Kol glanced between the two. His mind was finally putting two and two together. "Are you Kai Parker?"

"Yeah, I am," Kai sighed. "But listen-"

He couldn't get another word out of his mouth before Kol attacked him.

Kol didn't even know what came over him. He doesn't even know anything this guy has done, yet he knows it was bad, and that the love of his life is still shaken up about it. If this guy could make the strongest, bravest person he knows scared and weak, then it's already declared this guy's an asshole. He has tackled Kai to the ground before his mind could process anything.

"Kol-ey!" Emma shouted in terror. Jeremy just stared at the scene, and didn't know whether to laugh or to help. He decided to just stand back and laugh behind his hand.

Everyone gathered around the fight. Women were appalled, men were interested, and children were excited. After they had fallen to the ground, Kol just pinned Kai's arms to the ground and banged his head on the floor.

"What did you do to Bonnie?!" Kol growled.

"Oh, let me guess? New boyfriend?"

"None of your business."

Kai laughed, although his head was molding into the floor. "Come on, mate- you're british right? I'll call you mate- anyway, we were having a nice conversation, I thought we can be friends-"

"Not until someone tells me what the hell you did!"

"Well-"

"Hey! Get off him!" Some older dude yanked Kol off of Kai. "What's your problem?"

Kai played along, "Yeah, man. What's your problem?" He turned to the audience. "He just attacked me out of nowhere, he's insane-"

Jeremy and Kol just stared at Kai in disgust as he rambled on and on about how _Kol _was the crazy one. Sure, no one would care if they said anything else- no one even bothered to hear Kol's side of the story, they just ignored him. They don't know what Kai did, and probably don't even care. Jeremy picked up Emma, and nudged his friend and then the trio walked out of The Grill.

"Why did you attack that man, Kol-ey?" Emma asked. She leaned her head on her father's shoulder, but reached out her hand to touch Kol's face. She never saw him get angry, and it didn't technically scare her, she was just worried if he was sick or something. Also, because of the way Jeremy was acting, Emma wondered if that man was a bad person or not.

"No reason," Kol turned to Jeremy. "Dude, what even did he do? No one will tell me anything!"

"You don't need to know," Jeremy shook his head. Before Kol could protest, Jeremy distracted him by saying, "But man, you attacked him- that was awesome! He totally deserved it, and I didn't know you had it in you."

Kol, forgetting all about his questions, grinned cockily. "I _am_ pretty great. And I always have cool stunts in me, you're just never around, Gilbert."

Jeremy laughed and punched Kol's shoulder. He punched him back, and the two forgot all about Kai and continued their bro-bonding day (with Emma).

...

"Hey Liv!" Tyler exclaimed as he ran to catch up with her. She turned around and gave him a small smile.

"Hey Tyler. What's up?" She asked.

"I need to talk to you.." He said, out of breath as he had just ran three blocks to get to her dorm.

She glanced at her watch before shrugging, "I have to work in 20 minutes, I was on my way over there now. But we can talk before my shift."

He nodded, and the two walked side by side in silence until they reached Skull Bar. They walked straight to a table in a secluded corner and sat down. Tyler stared at Liv, and it became a staring contest. The loser would have to speak first.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on, or are you gonna waste my time?" Liv raised her eyebrow.

Tyler chuckled. "I'm sorry.. I just.. You're just.." She glared at him. "Anyway! I have some bad news.."

She nodded for him to continue.

"Lexi and I have literally searched high and low, and we cannot find anything about Kai. We looked at his prison records- he went to jail for the murders, the drugs, the kidnapping, everything, although his short time there is suspicious, there's nothing a judge and a lawyer did not agree to. He has a therapist apparently, but she was no help because she claims he's on this whole 'forgiveness' train and goes on about this 'redemption' crap, and that's why he's in Mystic Falls. I don't believe that for a minute. He's stayed out of trouble since he got out of jail. He's on probation, so he wouldn't risk doing anything, but I don't know.. There's nothing anyone can do except just see how this plays out. He swears he's changed, no one believes him, maybe he'll snap.. I'm just really sorry that you have to deal with him. He's got a clean slate. Although that bastard doesn't deserve it." By the end of his explanation, he was out of breath.

It took her a few moments to process everything he just told her. She was disappointed that there wasn't some mistake, that _he _wasn't allowed to actually be here. But there's not. And there was nothing she, or anyone, could do about it. She finally met his gaze and was able to cough out a few words. "Thanks for trying," she said with a small smile. And she really meant it. "I don't really think someone has really cared about me the way you and Lexi do, except Luke.. It means a lot." He smiled when she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "If it helps.. I apologize for thinking you were a jackass before I got to know you."

He laughed and grinned. "It's okay. I'm sorry for what I thought of you, too."

She feigned shock and offense, hitting his shoulder. "What did you think?"

"Oh, you know. That you're incredibly hot.." he teased.

"You don't think that anymore?" She raised her eyebrow.

He looked into her eyes before glancing at the ground. He slightly shook his head and chuckled. "No, I mean.." He looked back up at her face. "I think you're beautiful."

Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't recall anyone who had actually called her that. She then mentally slapped herself. He was just being flirty. He doesn't _actually _like her.

Were her eyes deceiving her or was he leaning in to her, as if his lips were going to kiss hers? She closed her eyes and waited for the gap between them to close-

"Olivia!" Her manager, Sean, shouted. "You're on the clock in five minutes! Go get ready, you can kiss your boyfriend later!"

Liv sighed and stood up out of the booth. "He's not my boyfriend," she snapped at Sean.

He rolled his eyes and said, "That's too bad. He's cute."

He walked away and she turned back to Tyler, who was smiling at her like an idiot.

"Do you think I'm cute?"

She shook her head. "I never said that- he did."

"But that doesn't mean you don't find me cute," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll see you around, Tyler. Thanks, again."

Before he could say "you're welcome" she turned around and walked to the back of the store to change. He sighed and stood up. He _really _liked her. Why couldn't he just ask her out? Was he losing his 'swagger' or something?

Nah, he was just in too deep. The best things in life are hard at first. But once you get them, you'll never let them go.

It's the chase that's half the fun.

...

"Hey mom!" Caroline called as she entered her childhood home.

"Oh honey!" Sheriff Forbes smiled when she saw her only daughter. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." The two shared a long overdue hug. "I missed you."

Caroline smiled into her mother's shoulder. "I missed you, too.."

Liz pulled away and the two found their way to the living room couch. "So, Care.. Tell me what's new in your life? What brings you home? No troubles with that boyfriend of yours?" She raised an eyebrow.

Caroline sighed. Her mom hasn't always been the most supportive person of her relationship with Klaus. But all she wants is her daughter to be happy, and boy does that British man make her happy. Despite her mom's acceptance, she has still been nervous to tell her mom about her engagement. After all, this would be Caroline's second time engaged and she was barely twenty-five. She wasn't necessarily _scared _of her mom's reaction.. More like nervous. Nothing Liz would say could change Caroline's mind, but that doesn't mean she wasn't nervous.

The first people Caroline had told was Elena and Bonnie, who were both incredibly excited for her. Elena wants to take the three girls out for a girls' night, but all three of their schedules are tight, as Elena has been meeting with editors and publishers to wrap up the final production of her book, Caroline has volunteered at an art gallery to pitch more of Klaus' paintings, and Bonnie is busy being a part-time student, a part-time bartender, and a full-time mother and girlfriend.

Klaus had told his siblings almost immediately after the pair bought the rings. He wasn't able to wait to get all five- no, _six, _of them in a room together, unlike Caroline who was able to wait a day to tell her best friends (oh, how the tables turned). He had called all of them on a five-way phone call, and Rebekah almost screamed bloody murder over the phone. Elijah was thrilled for his brother, although the news of him and Katherine having twins still over-shadowed the engagement, that is if Katherine had anything to say about it. Finn was happy for both of his brothers, although during the phone call his mind seemed elsewhere. Freya has come to a liking of Caroline so she was excited that she would officially be able to call her _sister. _Kol laughed and said something along the lines of _"Good job, brother! You got her to marry you, looks like you're getting your life together." _

Soon after Caroline told her two best friends, she had told Stefan. He had been insanely happy that two of his favorite people were finally getting their happy ending, and claims to be their guardian angel because he was the one who introduced them. She then told Matt and Lexi, who were ecstatic for her. And then there was Enzo, who seemed sad for a moment before giving her a huge hug. She wasn't sure if she should have told Tyler or not, but she figured Matt would have told him already. She begged everyone to keep quiet for a couple of weeks because she wanted to tell her mother on her own time.

Which is why she was here.

"Mom.. I am here to tell you something.. And I am _not asking._"

"Ooh, this seems serious.." Liz teased.

"It is," Caroline said. "I love Klaus, and he loves me, and he is the _best _thing to ever happen to me, and vice versa.." She looked at her mom's face, who looked like she was catching on to where this conversation was going. The bubbly blonde decided to rip the band aid off. She held up her left hand and squealed, "We're getting married!"

Liz stared at her daughter for a moment. She didn't know what to say. Sure, she wasn't Klaus' biggest fan.. But he _is _extremely good for her daughter. He picked up the pieces of her broken heart, and put her back together. Her daughter had been depressed for _months, _until she came home one day and said she realized a big discovery. She was in love again. And she hasn't seen that smile disappear from her little girl's face since that day. She sees the way Klaus looks at Caroline, and it was how every girl wanted to be looked at. She knew he loved her and would never hurt her. Liz believed him.

So then she broke out into a huge smile. "Congratulations, honey!"

Caroline let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You're happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be? My baby is getting married. And this time I can actually see it working out.."

Caroline reached over the couch to pull her mom into a hug once again. "Thank you for being supportive.. _Now._" They both chuckled. "I love you."

Liz smiled. "I love you, too." The two blondes pulled away from their hug. "Now.. Who's going to tell your father?"

...

"So Caroline's getting married, huh?" Damon said as he sat beside Enzo at the bar of The Grill. "How do you feel about that?"

Enzo shook his head. "I'm happy for her." His friend gave him a look. "I mean it. I like someone else.."

"Ohh yeah, you mean my friend I set you up with?! How is my buddy, Rose?"

"She's all settled in. She said she missed it here, and that Boston was too busy and loud. Plus, she never made many friends over there. She has more things she cares about here."

Damon smirked. "So, have you asked her out yet?"

Enzo turned his head so his friend couldn't see the blush creeping up on his cheek. "I-"

"Hey guys," Alaric greeted as he sat on the other side of Damon. "What's up?"

"Funny you ask.. Caroline's getting married, Katherine is having twins, Elena's book comes out next month, Jeremy's all loved up with Anna, Kai has been off the radar, you're having a baby, the Mikaelsons' crazy mother is put in a home, and Enzo is in love!" Damon explained every major event that has happened in the past two weeks. "Oh, and Bonnie only has three more weeks of her summer course before she can get her degree and _finally_ be free of school."

Alaric raised his eyebrow and glanced at his English friend. "You're in love?" he coughed.

Enzo rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I might be."

"And I set them up!" Damon fist pumped the air. "I told you guys I'm a great matchmaker."

"Not as great as me," Stefan interrupted as he strolled over to the trio. "I'm the one who set up Klaus and Caroline and now they're getting married. So, beat that." He stuck his tongue out at his older brother, who jokingly shoved him back.

"Ahh, the Salvatore brothers matchmaking business.. Sounds terrible," Enzo said as he sipped his drink.

"Well if it's Klaus and Caroline, and you and Rose, I think they did a pretty good job," Alaric defended the two brothers.

"Thank you," both Stefan and Damon said.

"So, our little town had finally quieted down," Enzo said.

"No, don't say that. You'll jinx it," Damon joked.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know. Something. It's Mystic Falls-"

"Something bad always happens here."

"Well, that's really depressing," Alaric said. "Let's celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" Stefan asked.

"Everything. To Klaus and Caroline. To Bonnie. To Enzo and Rose."

"To Jenna and Alaric. To Matt and Rebekah. To Elijah and Katherine," the younger Salvatore brother agreed as he raised his drink to Ric's.

"Hey, that's not even your drink," Damon accused. He grabbed the glass from his brother's fingers. "It's mine, now go get your own."

"You left it unguarded," Stefan put his hands up in defense.

"Well, it wasn't even your toast-"

"I don't think I'll ever get used to everyone in this town," Enzo shook his head. "And I've been here for over ten years!"

"I've been here eight, and I can't picture my life being anything but boring before transferring here," Alaric agreed.

"Another cheer?" Enzo raised his glass.

Alaric glanced back at Damon and Stefan, who were now fighting over god knows what. He shrugged and clinked his glass once more.

...

_*A few days later*_

The whole town was crowding around the scene. No one understood what was going. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? Who would do this? These were the questions going through everyones' minds.

Someone was dead.

The guy was a Fell, a member of a founding family, and while he didn't mean much to most people, everyone was shocked and saddened by his death.

_His murder._

He was stabbed 22 times. No one knows why the killer chose 22. No one knows the motive behind the murder.

But there was only one suspect. And nobody needed proof to accuse him of doing it.

"Okay, everyone! Please back away from the body!" Liz Forbes, Sheriff of Mystic Falls, yelled as she and her police officers cleared the scene.

She made eye contact with her daughter, who was standing with Klaus across the parking lot, both looking appalled at the scene.

There hadn't been a murder in Mystic Falls in almost 10 years. They thought they put away all the psychopaths.

Well, almost all of them.

Damon had woken up this morning with a call from Liz about an emergency by the park, and he tried to get Elena to stay home with Christian, but those two were as stubborn as he was. He saw Elena shielding their son from the dead body. Everyone was trying to keep their children from seeing everything, but those kids thought seeing a dead body was "kind of cool."

Damon continued to scan the audience, and saw Tyler talking hushly with Lexi Branson and Kai's sister. He raised his eyebrow. He would have to question Tyler about that later. Although he knew Lexi could never be involved with something like this. The other blonde, on the other hand, her brother was his number one suspect.

And speak of the devil, out of the corner of his eye, Damon saw Kai slip away from the scene. The deputy gave a nudge to Enzo to say he was going to do something. Enzo nodded and let him go.

Then Damon followed Kai.

* * *

**Woah, did Kai do it? After all this redemption he wants, why would he kill a Fell? Or was there someone else? Is there another psycho killer in Mystic Falls? Will anyone every believe Kai has changed? Or did he even change at all?**

**And what did you guys think of everything that happened? Rebekah and Freya will hang out next chapter, and we might see some more Mikaelson sibling bonding as the brothers help Elijah with the nursery! **

**Please review :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh my god, I am so sorry it's been a million years since I last updated! It's just I started ****reading this amazing book series called The Lunar Chronicles, which is basically a sci-fi dystopian twist on fairytales, and oh my gosh I could not put it down, I love it so much. And I've also started reading the Percy Jackson series, which is long overdue. So basically, I'm over my reading slump, but instead got myself into a writing slump. So I apologize for my lack of updates.**

**But I am back with a brand new chapter! And I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaires, or The Originals.**

* * *

Damon followed Kai through the crowd of people, across the street and into the jam-packed Grill. Kai struggled his way through the group of people clogging the door way, trying to get a peak at the crime just inches away from them. Damon nudged his way through the swarm of people, and when he entered the building he saw his number one suspect take a seat in a secluded corner. He scoffed when he realized that even the staff was peering out the windows, so if Kai wanted any assistance in making a coffee, he was sure out of luck.

Kai looked up and saw the officer approach. He mentally groaned. He knew what he was coming for. But he was _innocent. _He didn't do anything. He swears.

"Damon Salvatore," the younger brunette greeted. "What brings you down to my neck of the woods?" Kai played the sarcasm game, because that was all he knew how to play. He knew Damon didn't trust him, and to be honest, he didn't know if he'd trust himself either. But he knew he didn't do anything wrong, at least not this time around.

Damon rolled his eyes. "I think you know why I'm here." Damon lowered his voice so only the man before him could hear, "You killed that Fell."

"What makes you so sure _I _did it?" Kai smirked. "How do we know _you _didn't do it?"

"Because I'm me, and you're you."

"Great logic, Sherlock." Kai scoffed.

"Don't act all smart with me, I can see right through you."

"You can't arrest me for no reason," Kai pointed out.

"Watch me," Damon took out his cuffs.

"Aren't you going to at least _try _to do your job?" Kai raised his eyebrow. He wasn't scared of being put in jail. He knew he didn't do it. He knew he was innocent. And it was only a matter of time before everyone else realized he was too.

Damon groaned. "Fine. Where were you last night and this morning?"

"Easy. In my bed. Sleeping."

"Can anyone testify for that?"

"I don't have random strangers watch me while I sleep if that's what you're implying."

Damon scoffed. "If no one can testify-"

"Listen, I know you and you're Scooby Gang want me behind bars. Fine. I did some bad stuff in the past that I am not proud of. I just want a fresh start. Believe me when I say I did not do this."

"Considering your past, and the fact that you have no alibi.. I am going to have to arrest you." Damon clicked the handcuffs around Kai's wrists. "If you're as innocent as you say you are, the truth will be revealed and we'll let you go."

"Why do you think I'm not struggling?" Kai asked smugly.

Damon led the criminal outside. "Because you're a smug asshole."

Kai laughed lightly. "You've got a point there."

...

_*SATURDAY NIGHT, A FEW DAYS AGO*_

_Freya climbed into the passenger's seat of Rebekah's jeep and clicked her seat belt on. She took a deep breath and turned to smile at the blonde sitting next to her. Her sister had came into Elijah's house to escort her to the car, but hasn't said a word directly to her in the entire five minutes. The young girl knew that this was going to be a long night, but she was determined to get on her sister's good side. Her brothers talked so fondly of their younger sister, and Freya knew she wanted to know the sweet girl who made bullies cry, instead of the overly jealous and sensitive wench. Okay, maybe that came out wrong. In her defense, Rebekah _did_ save Freya from being put into an extremely awkward position with some older guy. _

_Rebekah turned the ignition on and stared at the road ahead as she stepped on the petal. She wanted to strike a conversation, but she didn't know what to ask. That's the thing with having trust issues.. And she wishes she didn't have them. She felt bad for basically ignoring her sister, but she had a reason to. But her brothers, specifically Finn and Elijah, had come to a liking of the youngest Mikaelson (or well whatever her actual last name was). Elijah even started looking through court files and foster systems to see if he could get full custody of Freya. She was, after all, a minor who traveled across the ocean to find a family, but since she technically lied and ran away from her foster home, she could just as easily be taken out of the Mikaelson-Pierce household. He mentioned that it might be a bit harder since her running away put a strain on the case, and the fact that these type of kids usually get adopted by their actual parent, not a sibling. But Rebekah and her brothers knew that Elijah was the best lawyer Mystic Falls, even the state of Virginia, and perhaps the whole country, has seen in decades. He was powerful, resourceful, and intelligent, and he was not going to let his family fall apart. Not ever again._

_"So.." Freya's small voice spoke. Rebekah knocked out of her trance and side glanced at the teenager. "Where are we going?"_

_Rebekah cleared her throat. "Oh, just around. To a few of my favorite places in this town." She laughed lightly. "I'm kind of a sentimentalist. And perhaps it'll help you know me better."_

_The younger girl smiled. _

_"And there's a movie playing tonight.. I don't know if you've seen The Fault In Our Stars?"_

_"Oh my god, I love that book!" She squealed. "I've been wanting to see that movie so badly!"_

_Rebekah laughed. "There's a showing at 9:45." She smiled devilishly, "If you think you can stay up that late."_

_"Oh, you bet I can," Freya laughed. "I'm kind of an insomniac.. I don't fall asleep until 2 in the morning anyway.."_

_"Really? Why?"_

_"Nightmares.. I keep seeing my dad die.."_

_"Wait.. Did you _see _him die?"_

_"I wasn't there.. But it's like getting that phone call _again and again, _and having nowhere to go and feeling so lost.. And there was this woman at the Foster Home that just crept me out.. Yet how ironic she was the only one that actually cared about me, if you'd call it 'caring'. She was also the only one against me coming here, but I left anyway."_

_"How was she creepy?"_

_"Just the way she acted.. Like some villain from a movie.. But the thing with my dad is that I didn't see him die, but I felt it. And I have these dreams about the different ways he could have died, and I just don't like to close my eyes and see it."_

_"I get what you mean." She pulled the car into the first stop. She parked the car and took out the keys. But instead of getting out she turned to her sister and continued speaking. "My brother.. His death impacted our family in the worst way.. And you would have thought nothing could be worse than our mom leaving and our dad hitting us.. But things did get worse. Our baby brother died, and our father got angrier all the time. If it was bad for me, I can't imagine how Kol must have felt, carrying his secret for a decade. Or Klaus, since he was the center of our father's hatred. For no reason."_

_"I'm really sorry."_

_"Thanks. But, me and the boys made the best of what we had. And despite the fact that we had a hard time making friends, we still had a small group of people that cared about us. And we cared about each other and looked after each other, and I think that's the most important part. And then we moved here and we suddenly lost touch with _everyone _from home. It's like they were part of some big secret and then they all reached out just recently like it was suddenly _safe _to talk to us. But we met some pretty great people down here so it wasn't so bad after a while.. But I know what it's like to feel lost, and I don't want you to feel that way anymore." She opened the door and motioned for the younger girl to do the same. The two walked up the steps to the front door of the building. "This is Mystic Falls High, where you'll be enrolling in two months from now."_

_Freya looked up at the big school. "Wow.."_

_"I know it's weird for a first stop.. But here's the thing. School back in London was not my thing; I was the quiet girl with four brothers and only one friend, who could slam a really mean spike, and was so desperate for a boyfriend that she didn't understand when she was being used. But then I moved here and I had the strength to make a new start. And I know that sounds harsh because my dad had just died, but I walked in to this school on my first day feeling like a new person. And I joined the cheerleading team, and met this really cool girl, and I befriended this incredibly sweet guy. I fought my way to the top of the social period, which is funny because guess who I fought with?"_

_"Who?"_

_"Caroline and Katherine."_

_Freya broke out laughing. "Really?! No wonder you guys hate each other!"_

_"I wouldn't say _hate. _But those two were also rivals back then, too. But they became civil when they got to college.. And I kind of have to suck it up because for the love of god, unfortunately they're my sister-in-laws now." _

_Freya smiled. "I think it's nice how much you care about our brothers.. I've noticed how protective you all are. I don't blame you for being wary of me, to be honest."_

_"You've noticed?" Rebekah chuckled. "I'm really sorry about all of that, by the way. I just.. I don't even know why I'm all the sudden.."_

_"Wanting to let your guard down?"_

_"Yeah."_

_Without saying anymore words, because they knew what the other was trying to say. Rebekah was threatened one second, and then intrigued the next. But the more they talked, the more Rebekah liked the idea of having an actual sister. She was never able to talk to her brothers about girl things, no matter how hard Kol tried to act like a girl just to make her laugh. _

_"No way!" Freya started laughing as the two sisters walked down the street from the ice cream parlor. This was their fourth and final stop before the movie. Both of them got vanilla cones with rainbow sprinkles, which was no coincident that it was both of their favorite flavor. _

_"Yup! Both Katherine and Elena dated both of the Salvatore brothers."_

_"That's so freaky.. Like it was some weird inter-dating thing.. I don't know!"_

_"Eh, everyone in this town basically dated everyone. I'm pretty sure I hooked up with both of them too.."_

_The younger blonde stopped walking and gaped, which made the older sister laugh._

_"Half the town hooked up with Damon Salvatore.. I'm pretty sure you're the only girl in our family, actually. I mean Sage, Katherine, Caroline. And then Bonnie is one of his best friends.."_

_"Okayy.. I don't think I needed to know that.."_

_"Do you need to know that Klaus-"_

_"I don't really need to know any of that, so don't even start."_

_"What about you? You've been in town for almost a month, right? See any boys you like?" She nudged her suggestively._

_Freya laughed and shook her head. "I haven't had many opportunities to go out and _explore._"_

_"But no guys are cute?"_

_"Nahh.."_

_"Girls?"_

_"No," she laughed again. "Well.. Stefan is pretty cute-"_

_"And twice your age!"_

_"I know," she rolled her eyes. "I was joking."_

_"Stefan _is_ hot though."_

_"Hey, you're getting married!"_

_"I'm still allowed to appreciate other attractiveness. Matt is the most attractive, though."_

_"Yes, he's very cute." She smiled._

_"Hey, he's mine!"_

_Freya raised her hands in defense. "He's all yours." She grinned as they reached the outside of the movie theater and couldn't keep in her excitement for seeing the movie. "Besides, Ansel Elgort is my man."_

_Rebekah laughed. The two girls then entered the theater._

...

"Good morning, sunshine!" Kol grinned when he saw his girlfriend exit the bathroom with her hair in a messy bun, her make-up smudged from sleeping, and her walk all disoriented.

Bonnie glared up at her boyfriend with a look so intense, he should be scared. "Not in the mood, Kol." She bumped his shoulder and walked into the living room, flopping down on the couch.

"Yikes, someone's in a bad mood. What got your knickers in a twist?" He teased, sitting down beside her on the couch. He reached out his hand and lightly tickled her toes. She responded by kicking his hand away, which only made him laugh even more.

"I'm just nervous.." She admitted.

"About what, darling?" He rubbed his hand up and down her leg in a comforting manor.

"About this whole Kai thing! Damon arrested him yesterday, and I've just been out of my mind hoping he did it so I can feel.. Normal again. Not afraid everywhere I go."

Kol held his hands out for her to grab, and she gladly did. He helped her sit up and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "I know he did some bad stuff, and I'm incredibly sorry. But he's out of your hair for the time being, so _relax. _He can't hu-"

His words were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Kol groaned and dropped his head back on the couch while Bonnie stood up. She wrapped her arms around herself from the cold AC and walked towards the door. She turned the knob and opened it. There stood Damon. Dressed in his uniform, so he was obviously on duty.

"Damon!" Bonnie exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you.." He glanced in the condo and nodded at Kol in greeting. He turned back to his friend standing before him. He shook his head. "You're not going to like what I have to say."

Bonnie sighed and invited him inside. She had a dark feeling in her stomach.

"What's the big emergency, dear deputy Damon?" Kol asked as the three sat around the kitchen island: Bonnie and Kol on one side, and Damon across from Bonnie.

Damon sighed in defeat and looked in Bonnie's eyes as he delivered the bad news. "Kai has been found innocent."

Her eyes dropped to the counter and she let out a deep breath. She didn't know how to feel, but she didn't feel safe anymore.

"What?" Kol was the first to speak. "What do you mean he was found _innocent?_"

"I mean.." Damon explained, "That we only had one suspect, and technically only one hope that he was the murderer. We had our team pick up fingerprints and DNA samples from the crime scene, and we uncovered what weapon was used to kill Mr. Fell. We have not found the weapon, but we're still looking. But since we have DNA samples, we tried to make a match with Kai's.. No match. And there's this thing with Tyler and Lexi; I talked to them and they've been doing this research about Kai to try to find a way to get him out of town and out of our lives, and they've found nothing. Since Kai is proven to be innocent of this crime, and he hasn't fallen off his wagon since he got out of jail.. We had to let him go. But there's still a killer on the loose, and we all need to be careful. While this could have been a person vendetta, there's still a possibility of a psycho killer on a killing spree. We are now trying to match fingerprints to everyone in this town that is listed, which will take a few hours since our computers are running slow. But anyway, yeah.. I'm really sorry, BonBon, but Kai's back out in the real world." He reached across the counter to rest his hand on Bonnie's forearm.

"That's insane! He had-"

"Kol, enough," Bonnie snapped. "I know you're trying to help, but you don't know half of what he's done. I appreciate you being outraged, but I'm honestly not even that angry anymore."

"Why aren't you angry?" Damon asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know.." She thought for a moment. There was this voice in her head that told her not to be scared, but she was. She knew she would never be able to live her life if she was in fear every moment of every day. "Has he been let out yet?" She asked her friend.

Damon shook his head. "No, we're letting him out at eleven. Why?"

Bonnie took a deep breath. She glanced at Kol before turning back to her friend.  
"I want to go see him."

...

"Why don't these things ever come with instructions?" Klaus asked as he hung the wooden leg upside down.

Finn chuckled from his side of the room. "They do come with instructions, they just come in Spanish."

"Well, where's Rebekah when you need her?" Klaus complained.

Elijah stood up and glared at his brother. "Niklaus. Look at the pictures, it's not that hard."

"Wow!" Kol laughed as he came strolling in to the nursery of his nephew. "Someone got Elijah all worked up! He's even talking like.. Well, me."

"And where have you been, brother?" Elijah scolded. "You were supposed to be here at 9:30."

"Stuff came up," he shrugged. He sat down beside Klaus and glanced at the instruction manuals. He picked up a screw and a connector and started putting them together. "No offense, Nik, but this is way too easy."

"Yeah, well, it's like you were just born to build nurseries," Klaus mumbled as he ripped open another package with his teeth.

"Or, he's just born to make children," Finn snickered.

"Excuse me! Are you shaming my promiscuous young adult life style?"

"Maybe," the eldest brother teased.

"Oh my god, this is not how I wanted this day to go," Elijah muttered, slapping his palm to his face.

"Well, you had the choice of having Damon and Stefan instead of us!" Klaus said. "But I'm so touched you chose us," he rested his hand on his heart to feign compassion.

"Is Little Gilbert coming?" Kol asked his brother.

"He told Katherine he'd be here around noon time."

"Then why did we have to come so early?" Finn asked.

"Because there's two rooms to set up, and Katherine wants the walls painted, and she wants everything done today so she can start organizing the clothes and toys and-"

"Okay, I get it," Finn nodded. "Your wife is a control freak."

"I have a question: if we're supposed to paint these rooms, why are we trying to assemble the furniture? Shouldn't we paint the walls, _first_?" Kol asked.

Elijah dropped the hammer on the ground and cursed. "You're right!"

Klaus leaned over to whisper in Kol's ear, "He's officially off his rocket." Kol snickered.

"I don't think he had his rocket to begin with," Kol said.

"I can hear you," Elijah glared at his two younger brothers. He looked at his older brother. "Why was this not as difficult when you were having Tate?"

Finn shrugged. "Because my wife isn't a control freak."

"And Finn's not a perfectionist," Kol added.

"And they just did a simple circus theme with _easy _instructions and wallpaper not paint," Klaus finished.

Elijah just continued to glare at his brothers.

"Oh good!" A feminine voice was heard in the hallway. Katherine waddled into the nursery. "You guys are here!" She looked around the room. Her smile faltered. "And you haven't accomplished anything.."

"Hey, we're trying our best here," Kol defended.

"Not really, we've just been bickering," Finn said.

"The thing with being distracted at work is that you're not supposed to tell the boss," Klaus said.

"Wow, you're acknowledging me as the boss?" Katherine smirked.

"Eh, I don't want you to break down in tears because you're a mess."

"Oh ha ha ha," Katherine made an obnoxious facial expression at Klaus, which he returned.

"Well if it isn't the loony toons!" Rebekah greeted as her and Freya entered the nursery.

Katherine glanced at Rebekah and Freya before announcing, "I'm gonna go make food. Bye, losers." She waved before exiting the room.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah asked Rebekah.

"I invited her over to look at my music collection," Freya answered.

"Oh, right, the only things you managed to keep with you while being tossed from home to home," Kol said. When they all looked at him like _not funny _he apologized, "Sorry. Too far."

"And I had _no idea _you guys were building the nursery today," Rebekah said. "Oh wait, yes I did." She glared at Elijah, silently yelling at him for not asking if she wanted to help.

Elijah scratched the back of his head, "Uhm.. Would you two lovely ladies like to help paint the rooms?"

"Hmm let us think." Rebekah turned to her sister and they both pretended to think before both saying,  
"Yes!"

"It's very sexist that you wouldn't let us help at first," Freya said.

"And it's our niece and nephew too," Rebekah added.

"Whose room is this again?" Freya asked.

Klaus held up the sword stickers and vines and pointed at the dark shade of purple paint and gave her a _really _look.

"We're doing Hayden's room first," Elijah answered.

"Aww, I wanted to do Sophia's room," Rebekah pouted.

"Then why don't you two go start painting the other nursery, and then when you're done, Jeremy will be here to help assemble everything," Finn suggested.

"Would we be done by noon?" Kol asked.

"It's ten now.. If we're six people painting two rooms, we should at least get it done in two hours," Finn explained.

Elijah sighed in relief. If they painted the rooms and were finished by noon, then they could have a lunch break while the walls dry and then start assembling everything with Jeremy which will probably take an hour, and then they can set up the furniture, and put the stickers and posters on the wall, and then they'll be done. He looked up at his siblings who were looking at him for permission to begin. He smiled and said, "Let's begin."

...

Bonnie still felt this dark pit buried in her stomach as she walked through the doors. She could barely feel her legs as they carried her down the dark hall. She could faintly hear the creaking in the jail cells. Her breath stopped short when she saw him. She hadn't seen him in over five years. The last time she saw him was when he had a gun aimed at her head.

Kai.

When she expressed her wanting to see and speak to Kai, both Damon and Kol objected. She was touched by their concern, but she told them that she wasn't asking. She explained that if she was able to speak to him, behind a wall, she might be able to get some closure and she'd be able to finally breathe when she left her home.

They couldn't disagree with her reasoning. They understood where she was coming from. Damon hated the guy as much as Bonnie did, but he cared about his friend's feelings. He agreed to let her see him. But he would not leave the room. Kol was reluctant to agree at first, but when he saw how much she needed this, he knew it would help his girlfriend's sanity. He kissed her temple and told her he'd be waiting for her at home. He had plans to do stuff with his brothers, but he trusted that she'd be safe with Damon.

When they reached the police station, Damon lead her through the hallways, down the stairs, and into the basement where they held all the criminal cells. There was a room where they could speak to them. The criminal on one side of the window, and Bonnie on the other. She sat down in the seat, facing Kai through the window. He stared at her as she had walked in, his face was full of emotion that neither of them could quite press. He felt a mixture of shock, yet joy from seeing her face.

She breathed deeply and looked at Damon who nodded. She picked up the telephone, and watched Kai do the same on his side.

"Bonnie," he breathed into the phone. It wasn't creepy.. it was mesmerizing.

"Hello Kai." Her voice shook and she struggled to make eye contact. She forced herself to look up from her hands to look at his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I wanted.. I-I wanted to, uh, speak to you."

"I didn't do it."

"I know. They're letting you go."

"They are?" He didn't know that.

"Yeah, I just wanted to speak to you, safely, before they let you out."

"Uh, thanks.. I guess?"

"Yeah.. Congratulations, you're innocent! I still hate you, though."

He chuckled over the line. "Wow, you sure know how to make a guy feel loved."

"Give up the act, Kai." She was finally getting to her point. "Why did you really come back to Mystic Falls?"

"To apologize."

She wanted to scream and laugh _"Liar! You're here to finish what you started." _And she would yell about all this other stuff, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't bring herself to blame him. All she could do was whisper, "Then do it."

He wasn't expecting her to let him apologize. No one has let him do it since he got back. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Bonnie.. I am sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry for what I did to Elena and Damon just because I was angry with you. I'm sorry for being an ass, and a psychopath, and.. I'm sorry for drugging you, and making uncomfortable advances on you.. I'm sorry for kidnapping your friend Elena, and for trying to kill you and Damon.. I'm sorry for killing four of my siblings and my mom, and for impaling my sister.. I'm sorry for feeling worthless all the time and wanting to make others feel my pain, only in a worse way. I'm sorry for being a monster, and for making you or anyone of your friends scared of my return. But I promise I really am here for a fresh start."

Bonnie did not want to believe a word he was saying. She didn't want to believe he had changed. But how could she deny what was right in front of her? His voice, his body language, he wasn't lying. She has been studying behavior in criminals, as she wants to open a safe house for those running from abusive parents or spouses or anyone trying to hurt them. She needed to study criminal behavior so she wouldn't be tricked into letting one in. And she wasn't being tricked. Not this time.

"I believe you," she found her voice. "But I don't forgive you. At least not yet."

He raised his head so his eyes could meet hers. Green met blue. Good met evil. Fear met guilt.

"Thank you." He gave her a small smile. "This is why I liked you.. You gave people second chances even when they don't deserve them."

"Do you deserve one?" And while that may be true about her, it still takes a long time for someone to even get a _first _chance. She judges people far too quickly, and is usually the first to turn away. But she's just as easily forgiving as unforgiving.

"No. I don't."

She stayed silent for a moment as she thought about what to say next. "You can have your second chance.. As long as you leave Mystic Falls."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"There's someone I need to see here. Two someones, actually. Maybe you know them? Liv and Luke."

Bonnie nodded. The twins. Liv was a friend of hers, and in a few of her classes. She shared a dorm with Lexi, and Tyler has a huge crush on her. Luke was at the college too, but he also had a part-time job as Katherine's assistant last summer.

"Your brother and sister."

"I think they're the ones I really need to apologize to. My hatred and jealousy of them was my own destruction. But I don't hate them anymore."

"You don't need to tell me that. I'm not close with either of them so I won't be able to pass on the message. But good luck getting back in good graces with your family."

He nodded sadly. "Thank you."

Her hand lingered over the phone she had pressed to her ear. She didn't know if she should say something else before leaving. She made up her mind. She was done talking.

"Goodbye Kai." Before he could respond, she hung up the phone.

...

_*SOMETIME IN JUNE 2006, ENGLAND*_

_Sixteen year old Rebekah flew down the stairs at the noise of someone knocking on the door. "I've got it!" She yelled. When she saw her older brother Kol racing to the door, she squealed and pushed him out of the way. "Move, idiot!" _

_"No, you move!" He grunted. The two reached the door and both clawed their way to open it. "Rebekah! You answered it last time!"_

_"Well, no one wants to see your face when they enter this house," she said. "I'm much better looking."_

_"That's a lie!"_

_"What are you two doing?" Elijah asked as he entered the kitchen. "I'm back from university for two days, and you're already trying to kill each other."_

_"You're lucky they're still alive now that we're gone," Klaus called from upstairs in his room. "No one here to pull them back in the cat fight."_

_"Why doesn't someone just answer the door?!" Mikael yelled from the living room. Kol froze at his father's voice. Whenever one of them takes too long to answer the door or the phone, Mikael gets angry. His sister took the advantage of her brother's inability to move and opened the door. When she saw the face of the person standing on the other side, she almost fainted. _

_Kol and Elijah stared at the ghost standing in the doorway. Someone who they haven't seen in almost six years. _

_Their mother._

_"Who's at the door?" Mikael asked._

_"M-mo-mother," Elijah stuttered._

_"What?" The three children heard movement and Mikael suddenly stood in the kitchen beside his second eldest child. He was also staring at the ghost of his wife. "Esther."_

_"Mikael," she nodded. She turned to look at Rebekah who stared at her with wonder, Kol who looked at her with hatred, and Elijah who looked shocked. "My children.. You all look so grown up.. How have you been?"_

_All of the members of the Mikaelson family were taking their mother's return strangely. It was abrupt and sudden, and completely weird. School had just let out for summer vacation, and the three older children were home for the summer. But they wouldn't be able to spend the summer the way they wanted to. Because if Esther's return wasn't crazy enough, how about her suggestion to move the family to another country? And the fact that their father agreed? _

_"Are you kidding me?" Kaleb cried when he heard the news. Kol stood in the park, walking along the pathway with his two best friends; Kaleb and Davina. He had to break it to them that he was moving. "But this is our last year of secondary school! You can't leave!"_

_Davina had to stop her tears from falling. She just stood and listened to Kaleb yell and complain about their friend leaving. His best friend, her boyfriend. She dug her heel into the ground and stuffed her hands in her pocket. She couldn't believe this was happening. They had just started dating too. She had the worst luck._

_"I'm sorry, man.." Kol groaned. "I don't want to leave, trust me. But I have no choice."_

_"Stay with me!" Davina cried, grabbing his hand. "My parents love you. And if Klaus and Rebekah want to stay, they can!" Davina was adopted by Marcel's parents back when she was around ten years old. Both Davina and Marcel had befriended the Mikaelson siblings, and their parents loved whenever they had come over. Thought of them as their own children at times. "And why should Finn or Elijah leave? They're both in their twenties, and in further education schools-"_

_"Mother dearest pulled them out, darling. God only knows how she did it, and my brothers weren't too happy."_

_"But this isn't fair!"_

_Kol took her hands in his, "I know.. I hate this as much as you do." He kissed her hair and hugged her. _

_Kaleb looked at the two before looking behind them. He was happy for the two of them, he was, but he always had a small crush on Davina, and he knew Kol was a womanizer- he didn't want Davina to get hurt. But surprisingly Kol did actually fall in love with her, and he only ever told Kaleb. Not even his siblings. Or her, for that matter. But he didn't need to tell her with words, she knew._

_"Listen, guys.." Kaleb spoke. "I have to go, but we need to do something before you leave- which is when?"_

_"Three days," Kol answered while Davina whimpered. _

_"Man, this sucks. Anyway, we should hang out tomorrow, all day, okay?" Kol nodded and the two hugged quickly before Kaleb turned to leave._

_Davina wrapped her arms around herself and tried to breathe. She didn't know why she was such a mess. She was obviously upset about Kol moving, but it wasn't like he was dying. Well, a part of her did die when he told her he was leaving._

_Kol turned to look at his girlfriend and smiled a sad smile. "Hey, love," he tilted up her chin so he could meet her eyes. "I will call you everyday-"_

_"It won't be the same."_

_He sighed. "I know. But there's nothing anyone can say to change my parents' minds, trust me. We've all tried."_

_Davina could not stop the words from falling out of her mouth. She doesn't even know why she said them, especially if they weren't true. But the words were out there and she could not take them back. "I'm pregnant."_

_Kol's hands dropped to his side and he stopped breathing. He stared at her. "What?"_

_"Yeah, I mean.." She shook her head. She doesn't want to lie, but what if his mom will him stay with her if they were having a baby? It was worth a try. "Your mom would have to let you stay, right? A baby can't grow up without a father!"_

_"I grew up without a mother," Kol spat out. He didn't mean to make it sound harsh at her, but at the world. At his mother. He looked at Davina again. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "This is a disaster.. Just my luck." He pulled her back into another hug. "Listen darling.. I will be here with you. I will not leave you." He tried to reassure her, but it was more like he was reassuring himself. Especially since he was completely terrified of being a father._

_When Kol got home that night, he sat with his family at the dinner table. He poked around at his food, not quite hungry, and not sure how to break the news to his family. They were going to kill him. His father was going to kill him._

_He heard his siblings complain about leaving their friends, and how none of them took the news well either. Hayley was Rebekah's best friend, and a good friend of Elijah's and Klaus' also. Marcel was Klaus' best friend, and Rebekah's boyfriend. Camille was Elijah's friend, but close with Klaus and Finn too. Gia was Elijah's friend he met at university. Vincent was Finn's friend. Tatia was their neighbor who was good friends with all five siblings, and felt like she was losing part of her family. Josh and Aiden were more Davina's friends, and Jackson and Oliver were more Hayley's, but they were still friends with Kol and Rebekah respectively and it was like losing a member of their clique. And the rest of the people in this town probably wouldn't even notice any of them were gone, so it was nice to know that a small group of people were upset about them moving. _

_"Kol!" Rebekah snapped her fingers in front of his face. "You've been quiet all night, are you alright?" She asked concerned._

_"Yeah, how did Kaleb and Davina take the news?" Elijah asked._

_Kol sighed and played with his food a bit more._

_"I don't think we should leave.." He finally muttered._

_"And why is that?" Mikael asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_"I know you're upset, dear," Esther spoke. "But this will be good for our family."_

_"Yeah, well, you'll be keeping me from my new family," he snapped. _

_"What do you mean?" Finn asked. _

_"Davina's pregnant," he finally said._

_Silence filled the room and Kol could hear the adrenaline in his own heart. He saw the veins popping out of his father's neck, and instantly wanted to hide in a hole. His siblings gaped at him, and his mother looked disappointed._

_"HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID AND IRRESPONSIBLE?!" Mikael shouted as he shattered the glass and plate._

_"Children.." Esther breathed. "Please go upstairs while your father and I talk with your brother."_

_The four other Mikaelson children did not move from their seats. _

_"We're not kids, mother. You can't send us to our room__s," Klaus said._

_"And whatever you have to say to Kol, you can say in front of us," Finn added._

_"Just do what your mother says," Mikael threatened. _

_"Just go, guys. I'll be fine," Kol promised. _

_Rebekah leaned over and gave her older brother a hug and kissed his forehead. She then turned to her parents and said, "I really want to be an Aunt. Don't ruin this. For either of us."_

_As the other three boys stood up to follow their sister upstairs, Elijah looked squarely in his father's eyes and growled, "Hurt one hair on his head and I will take my siblings and we'll get as far away from both of you as we can." Mikael just rolled his eyes at the threat. They'd never pull it off, and he knew that._

_Once the other four had left, Esther tried a calming approach to her youngest son. "Honey.. I'm incredibly sorry you'll be leaving-"_

_"You're not even going to let me stay?" Kol asked with disgust. "You wouldn't even raise your own children, yet you deny me the chance to raise mine?"_

_"He probably got her pregnant on purpose so he could stay," Mikael scoffed. _

_"She can't get pregnant in three days, you idiot!" Kol snapped. He immediately regretted insulting his father when he saw the anger creep up on the man's face._

_"What did you say to me, son?"_

_Kol gulped and lowered his voice. "Nothing, sir."_

_"That's right."_

_"Stop scaring the boy," Esther scolded her husband. She turned back to her son and sighed. "Honey-"_

_"You don't get to call me that! Where have you been for the past six years? Where were you when I had a concussion? When I got a hundred on my math test? When I joined the baseball team and got my team to the championship? When I met Davina and fell in love and got my heart broken and am getting it broken again and again because of you! What about when.. Henrik died?! You weren't there for any of it, you don't get to make this decision for me!" Kol stood up and slammed his chair. "I want to stay and be a father to my child. I am terrified, trust me, but I am determine to be a better father than what I had. And Davina will be a much better mother than _you_ were."_

_"Just stop talking," his father said. "And go upstairs before I-"_

_"Let me and your father think this over.." Esther interrupted._

_Kol rolled his eyes before muttering, "I hate you both," and running upstairs. _

_The next day, Esther strolled down the street until she came across the house whose address was written on the slip of paper she held in her hands. She walked up the steps and knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood a small girl, about fifteen, with striking blue eyes and dark brown curls. The girl's smile faltered when she saw Esther. _

_"Mrs. Mikaelson.." Davina nodded. _

_"Are you Davina Claire?" Esther asked the girl. She nodded. "I am here to speak with you about my son, Kol."_

_Davina's throat felt dry and heavy. She nodded and stepped out the door, gesturing to the rocking chairs on the porch. _

_"I understand you and my son are expecting a baby."_

_Davina wanted to tell Esther that she wasn't actually pregnant, but before she could get the words out, Esther had pulled out a wad of cash. Her eyes widened. _

_"I will give you the money to get rid of it," Esther held out the cash. _

_"I could never kill a baby," Davina shook her head. _

_"Then I will give you enough money to raise this child. _Without_ my son."_

_Davina stared at the older woman. "What are you saying?"_

_"You will tell Kol you will not be keeping the baby or whatever you want to tell him but he does not need to worry about staying with you. I don't really care what you do with the baby or the money I give you. I just want you away from my son. I am trying to have a fresh start with my family, and none of my kids need this kind of drama in their lives. I can't have my children under one roof if one is in another country raising his own child. I hope you understand."_

_Davina kept staring at her boyfriend's mother in shock and disgust. Was she really paying her to disappear from Kol's life? Her throat felt dry and clogged and she could not find the words to express that the whole pregnancy facade had been fake. She was just under so much pressure and she did not want Kol to leave. Sure, she had thought she was pregnant last week but it turned out to be a false alarm. She hadn't known how to tell Kol, and then the news of him moving just put her under so much pressure she forgot to tell him it was a false alarm. _

_"I can't take your money," Davina shook her head again. _

_"Are you sure?" Esther waved the money once again. Davina shook her head and stared at the ground. "Fine. Your choice."_

_"But Mrs. M-"_

_"But you _will_ stay away from my son. I don't want you in contact with him anymore. You or any of their friends, actually. They can't be reminded about what they left behind."_

_"You can't be serious," Davina stared in shock. She felt tears cloud her eyes. "But we're their friends-"_

_"I understand Rebekah's boyfriend is your brother?" Esther changed the subject. _

_Davina nodded sadly. "Adopted brother. He's out with Klaus and Rebekah right now. You actually just missed them."_

_"Tell him that's the last time he'll see them."_

_"But you can't do that!" Davina cried. _

_Esther stood and started walking away. "I can. And I will. Have a nice life, Miss. Claire."_

_Davina stood on her porch, watching the monster walk away with her head held high. She was destroying so many people's lives, and she would just continue to ruin more. _

_She was speaking too fast for Davina to even explain the real situation about her and Kol's "child." The blue-eyed beauty's face overflowed with tears as she realized that her boyfriend and his family were really leaving and there was nothing stopping them. She, Kol, and Kaleb would never watch a scary movie in the park together again. She would never hear Marcel complain about Klaus being an ass, or how Rebekah talked too much once they were alone. She would never see Camille or Hayley around town and laugh about their Mikaelson friends and their crazy antics because as much as the three girls were friendly, all they had in common was that insane family. _

_She wiped her tears away and fell to the floor feeling like she couldn't breathe. She gasped for air, but she couldn't feel anything but dryness. She couldn't get the overbearing thought that she ruined everything out of her brain. But she convinced herself that the Mikaelson matron was a monster out to destroy her children's lives and didn't care about anything but herself- she would have just done this anyway. The look on the older woman's face made Davina recognize that she was just evil and no matter what she had told Kol, they would have moved anyway. _

_She was too scared to say goodbye to Kol. When a small group of friends; Kaleb, Hayley, Camille, and Marcel, went to say goodbye to the family before they left the next morning, Kol kept looking for Davina. Kaleb sadly told him that she wasn't coming, and Esther looked on with a smile on her face. _

_And then the Mikaelsons packed up and left, gone without a signal trace- almost as if they never existed. Forever._

* * *

**Wow! I'm actually kind of nervous to see how you guys react to this flashback.. But now we know what Esther had done to Kol's first *real* girlfriend, and why he was so scared about Bonnie leaving him. God, Esther just keeps ruining everything, doesn't she?! At least she won't be for much longer.**

**And I hoped you guys liked the Mikaelson sibling bonding scenes! And Kai is innocent! How did you guys like the Bonkai scene? Will Kai get back in with his family? Or will he have to work harder? Who really killed that Fell?**

**I had another way I was going to go with the Kai storyline.. But I actually love his character now so I don't want to do it anymore sooo.. I think I might do a time jump next chapter so I can get on to the rest of my drama filled storylines I have planned.. What do you guys think?**

**Please review! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Wow, I update less than a week later? Impossible! But yes, I did. This chapter is kind of shorter than others ones, but this is just a quick chapter to wrap up all of my loose ends before I jump ahead to October where I can start new storylines. I have many things planned and I can't wait to write them! **

**And also, I updated because it's my birthday tomorrow and I wanted to do something special :)**

**I don't know if my timeline is confusing or anything but I just wanted to remind you guys that we are only in summer of 2014, and in case you were wondering about any of their ages:**

**(Tatia)-34  
Finn (and Vincent)- 32  
Jenna and Alaric- 31  
Damon, Elijah, Sage, Enzo, Rose, (Gia and Camille)- 29  
Klaus (and Marcel)- 27  
Stefan- 26  
Caroline, Bonnie****, Elena, Matt, Kol, Katherine, Tyler, Lexi, Kai, (Kaleb, Hayley, Jackson and Oliver)- 25  
****Rebekah (and Josh and Aiden)- 24  
****Jeremy (and Davina)- 23  
Anna and April- 22  
Liv and Luke- 21  
Freya- 14  
Emma- 5  
Christian- 3  
Tate- 2**

**(The names in parentheses are The Originals characters who will make appearances later in the story, more specifically the Mabekah wedding, and some will have a bigger part than others, but nonetheless, they'll all be there.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or The Originals.**

* * *

Liv Parker stood behind the bar at her work, wiping down the sticky alcohol left over on the counter from partying students on campus last night. She sighed and wished she could graduate college before she gives up on finding an actual job and is stuck working as a bartender until she turns fifty. As she rung the dirty washcloth in the sink, she glanced up at the empty bar. When she heard the door open and the small bell ring, she didn't bother to look up. It was most likely just a wandering student hoping to day drink away their heartbreak or worries.

A guy sat across from her and she sensed a dark presence. She looked up through her eyelashes and saw someone she hoped she'd never have to see again. She hoped too soon.

She backed away from the bar and into the counter behind her, but it wasn't enough.

"Leave me alone, Kai," she hissed at her older brother.

Kai made no movement, at least no threatening ones. "Olivia.. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

She spat in his face and moved out from behind the counter. "Sure." She rolled her eyes.

She kept backing away from the counter, and when she reached the end of it, she bumped into another person. She screeched and turned around, coming face to face with her twin brother, Luke.

"Luke!" She exclaimed, giving him a hug. He kissed her hair, and rubbed her shoulder affectionately.

"Aww, what a pretty picture," Kai said sarcastically. "I'd hate to break it up."

"What do you want, Kai?" Liv snapped.

"He just wants to talk," Luke answered for his brother. Liv turned wide eyed to her twin. The way his tone of voice was comforting, like he knew Kai was being for real. The more Liv thought about it, the more she realized Luke was never scared of Kai's return. He was nervous, but never feared what their older brother could do.

"What are you talking about, Luke? Why are you so.. calm?" Her eyes widened at the thought. "Please tell me you're not-"

Reading his sister's mind, Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder and reassured her. "No, I am not working with him. I would never do that. I only.." He hesitated, as if not sure how to explain to his twin exactly how he knew Kai meant no harm.

"He visited me in prison," Kai broke the ice.

Liv's eyes widened even more. She turned to Luke and screeched, "What?! When?!"

"Don't worry, Livvy-"

_"Don't_ call me that," she hissed. She turned back to Luke and asked, "Does Dad know?"

"Of course Dad doesn't know," Luke answered.

"But why?" Liv asked.

"All you need to know, my fearless baby sister, is that the reason I am here and a brand new and improved man is because Lukey over here basically came to my jail cell and gave me sickening psychology lessons and tips on how to be empathetic- which is gross by the way- and I could not get his stupid videos and lectures out of my head and when I got out of jail and smelled the fresh air and sun on my face-"

"Get to the point, Kai."

"Okay, fine, if you want to be boring about it," Kai sighed. "Luke helped me realize a few things, that's all. He's actually the reason I got let out early, because I improved behavior in my one-on-one meetings with my parole officer. But my point is, I owe my change in views and opinions to Luke.. And I came back to Mystic Falls to first of all apologize to both of you for being a psychotic asshole. And to thank you, Luke." He was now speaking directly to his brother. "I know you didn't have to help me get.. better. But you did it. And you're a much better person than I am. I guess you sort of rubbed off on me," he chuckled slightly. "But I owe you big time, little brother. And Liv.. Again, I am really sorry. For everything."

Liv just stared at Kai, and then at Luke. She then hit Luke on his shoulder. "Why did you never tell me, you jerk!"

Luke gently pushed her hands away and gave her a smile. "Because I didn't think I could actually pull it off.. The last time I visited him, he told me to go fuck myself, so when I heard he was back in town, I wasn't quite sure why he was here."

"Then why were you here at my work?" Liv asked.

"I hoped to give him the benefit of the doubt.. And to protect you." He side eyed Kai. "But I guess he's being honest about everything."

Liv turned back to Kai and raised an eyebrow. "Are you being serious? You've really changed?"

Kai nodded. Then he thought for a moment and shrugged. "Well, I don't hate you two brats anymore if that's what you mean."

Liv rolled her eyes. "You had no reason to hate us in the first place. We're not taking over the family business."

Kai's eyes widened and continued to stare at the pair of blondes. "What? I thought it's what you guys wanted! All of us wanted that business.. It was my- your dream."

"No, it was Dad's dream," Luke said. "After you went to jail, Liv and I realized what a huge disaster the family business was doing to this family. I mean.. Dad got all power hungry and his side of the family hated us, and.. It just divided us."

"I always wanted to work as a psychologist. The study of the brain always fascinated me, and Luke always wanted to work in architecture," Liv added. "When we told Dad we were going to college, he flipped out because Jo was becoming a doctor, and you were in prison, and the rest of the family was dead, so everything he spent his entire life to build was going to crumble down."

"Dad may not trust you. But he knows how badly you wanted to take over Gemini Industry, and that you won't screw it up.. It may take him a while to let you back in, but if you truly want the position, it's yours," Luke finished.

Kai just stared dumbly at the two. He shook his head and laughed. "Oh man. Of course I want the job, but I don't even care about that anymore! I just want.. My family back," he admitted.

Liv turned to Luke and nudged him. "What the hell did you say to him?" she whispered.

Luke sighed and ignored his sister's question. "Kai.. It's going to take a hell lot more than 'I'm sorry' to get us back. I hope you know that."

Kai nodded, but then his eyes widened as if he just remembered something. "How's Jo doing?" He asked. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Liv answered. "She's in Africa at the moment. Part of her doctor program was to take a trip down to Africa to help those who are sick. She emailed me the other day, they're making a difference down there."

Kai smiled. "That's good! I really want her and Dad-"

"I don't really know how they are going to feel about all of this.." Luke spoke. "I mean you _did_ kill their family."

"They were your family too.. Why aren't you guys, like, freaked out?"

"Oh, I am," Liv shuddered. "But I believe that Luke can work wonders.. And I believe you've changed. I just.. Don't think I can trust you or have a relationship with you.."

Kai nodded. "It's understandable."

Liv shook her head. "I just don't understand how someone could change so drastically over night."

"But I didn't," Kai admitted. "I'm still working towards this new personality.. I'm also getting professional help from therapists. Luke's good but he can't work miracles. I mean, I still have this urge to gauge out the eyes of every person who pisses me off, like Damon Salvatore for instance, but I mean I'm working towards putting my anger into different things other than brutal murders."

"Wow." Liv didn't know how to digest this information. Her twin was better at this kind of thing than her.

"Well, I'm proud of you," Luke grinned. "And if you want a second chance.. Well, since Dad was horrible to you growing up.. He shouldn't get a say, honestly. But it's up to Josette, in my opinion. If she says yes to being a family, then.. I think we can give it a try."

"Really?" Both Kai and Liv asked; Kai with a smile, and Liv with a shocked gaze.

Luke nodded and wrapped his arms around Liv. "You'll have to prove yourself, though."

Liv stared numbly as Kai shook his head eagerly. "Yes, whatever it takes."

...

Liv stood outside a house she has visited more often than she'd like to admit in the past few weeks. But something was different about this time. She usually just barged right into the house, but today she lingered on the front step and hesitated to knock on the door.

Her knuckles fell against the hard wood and she felt a vibrate through the wall. She took a deep breath and when the door opened, she threw herself against the man who answered the door.

"Woah!" Tyler chuckled, his hands gently patting her wild blonde hair. "What brings you over here?"

She didn't say a word. She just pulled back from the hug and leaned forward, colliding her lips with his. Tyler's eyes widened in shock. He was not expecting her to make the first move, or the fact that she even liked him back. But he eagerly responded to the kiss; tangling one hand in her beautiful curly hair, and resting one hand on her waist, pulling her closer. Her hands reached up to cup his face. He bit down on her lip, asking for permission, which she gladly granted. She giggled into the kiss as their tongues fought for dominance, and despite Tyler's obvious experience, Liv had won that battle. The kiss lasted several minutes before both needed to take a breath to gasp for air. They broke the kiss, but still leaned their foreheads close together.

"What was that for?" Tyler breathed.

"I.. I don't know.. I just needed it," she whispered.

He grinned and caressed her cheek. "Well.. Did you come here just to make out with me or..?"

She scoffed and hit his shoulder, breaking away from their embrace. "I just wanted to tell you that Luke and I have decided to give Kai a second chance and that you and Lexi can discontinue your search-"

"Wait, what?" Tyler didn't understand.

She sighed, leaning against the doorway of the Lockwood Mansion. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me, trust me. I really don't think anyone really cared enough... But, Luke.. I can't really explain everything right now, but I can just tell you that Kai is getting help, and he's not here to hurt anyone. I will forever not being his biggest fan. I will forever despise him, but I think it would do everyone a whole lot of good to not be scared all of the time. It would do _me_ a favor. I just wanted you to know.. And even if you don't trust Kai, trust Luke. Luke would never let anything happen to me."

Tyler didn't know how to respond to Kai suddenly being a "good guy" and back in good graces with his family. And he heard Bonnie visited the guy, and he's just wondering where everyone's right mind had wondered off to. But he knew that both Bonnie and Liv could take care of themselves.

"I won't let anything happen to you either," he finally responded. "But you can also take care of yourself.." He rubbed his hands down her arms, sending shivers down her spine. "I trust you'll be fine." He smiled at her.

She smiled back. "So you know how I said I didn't come here to make out with you?" He nodded. "Well, that doesn't mean we still can't do that, right?"

He grinned devilishly and took her hand, pulling her into his house, making her squeal in delight.

...

"Those nurseries look beautiful, Katherine," Jenna grinned as she and Alaric followed Katherine into her living room.

"Thanks, Auntie Jenna!" Katherine smiled. She has only known she has an Aunt for eight years, and she doesn't usually call Jenna "Aunt" like Jeremy and Elena do, but she says "Auntie Jenna" as an affectionate nickname from time to time. Just like she (and basically everyone in the town) call Jeremy "Little Gilbert" or Rebekah "Barbie Klaus" or Kol "Mini Elijah."

"So, how's everything going in your pregnancy?" Katherine asked Jenna as the three sat down on the couch.

Alaric rubbed Jenna's lower back affectionately as she spoke, "We're doing good. I'm about ten weeks now."

Katherine smiled. She was never so close with Jenna, but now that they're both pregnant at the same time, they have something to bond over. Of course, they could have both went to Elena as she has already had her son, but they wanted to talk about things together.

"How about you, Katherine?" Alaric asked. "It must be exciting to be having twins."

Katherine nodded. "I was honestly really nervous at first.. But now the more I think about it, I'm getting more excited by the minute."

"Do you know your due date?" Alaric asked.

She nodded. "November 15. Do you guys know yours?"

"Sometime in February," Jenna answered.

Katherine internally groaned. "No. Not another February birthday! We have way too many of those."

"Hey, my birthday is in February," Alaric defended.

"Yeah, and so is Matt, Bonnie, Kol, Rebekah, Tyler, Liv, and Luke."

"February is the shortest month, and yet it has the most birthdays from our circle.." Jenna added.

"Alaric, Jenna!" Elijah greeted when he entered the living room. "How's your pregnancy feeling, Jenna?" He asked.

"I'm doing good," Jenna answered.

"That's good," Elijah smiled as he leaned over the couch to kiss the top of his wife's head. "Do you wish to have a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't really matter," Jenna answered. Alaric nodded in agreement, but mouthed to Elijah,  
"I actually want a boy."

"Typical," Elijah joked as he sat beside Katherine on the couch. "Any names?"

"Ric wants to name the baby 'Thor,'" Jenna said.

"Thor?" Katherine coughed. "Like.. From the Avengers?"

"Exactly," Alaric nodded.

"Why?"

"Because."

"My nickname was Thor," Elijah said. The other three adults turned to look at him. "Finn used to tell me that when my mother was pregnant with me, she would let him feel when I kicked, and they would call me Thor because I kicked hard just like Thor and his hammer," he explained.

"That's cute," Jenna smiled. "Do the twins kick?" She asked her niece.

Katherine nodded. "They do. Although, not so much, yet. They do it once in a while. And of course, it's when I'm trying to sleep or do something important."

"Sleeping is very important," Alaric said, which made Katherine smile.

"I think it's great that you're both expecting because then the kids will have someone to play with," Elijah said.

Jenna laughed. "Yes. But they'll both have that Gilbert blood in them. They'll be trouble."

"Don't forget Mikaelson. I think that family is more crazy than the Gilberts," Ric said. He turned to Elijah and said, "No offense."

"None taken," the other man smiled. "My siblings are very.. Out there."

"Hopefully the twins take after their father, and not their Uncle Klaus or Uncle Kol or Aunt Rebekah. Or Aunt Elena or Uncle Jeremy," Katherine added. "Or their mother for that matter."

Everyone started laughing, and continued sharing hopeful stories about three little blessings waiting to join them.

...

Anna walked into Jeremy's bedroom and saw him sleeping upside down, hanging over his bed. She giggled and ran to his bed, jumping up and slamming into his side. He woke with a _humph!_ and turned to glare at her. She smiled sweetly.

"It's almost noon and you looked like you were about to fall off," she teased. "So it was time to wake up the sleepy head," she ruffled his shaggy brown hair.

He crinkled his nose. "But you didn't have to do it so brutally. I think you broke a rib."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I did. I can call your friend Caroline to check out your injuries."

"Well, actually, Caroline's studying to become a pediatrician. Stefan is the one that's a heart doctor so he looks like our best bet, as Lexi is studying to be a veterinarian and I'm not a dog."

Anna laughed and leaned her head back on the pillow.

"So.. Have you heard from your mom?" Jeremy asked. He traced circles on her shoulder.

Anna shook her head. "She's trying to apologize, but I know my mom. She won't get over it. Eventually, maybe, but not so soon. Don't worry. I'll give it until the end of the summer, and she'll be fine."

Jeremy nodded. "I just don't want you to lose contact with her because of me.. She's all you have."

Anna kissed his cheek. "Now that's not entirely true. I have you." Jeremy smiled.

"I love you," he told her.

She leaned in to kiss him. "I love you, too."

...

"Woah, hold up." Stefan couldn't contain his laughter. "_You_ had a crush on Tyler?!"

Lexi hushed him to keep his voice down. "Shut up! And so what if I did? It lasted ten minutes. I'm seriously over it. Besides, he's with Liv now."

"Who's with who now?" A perky blonde asked.

Lexi and Stefan were hanging out at the Grill, and Caroline and Klaus were walking in because they saw their two friends sitting at a booth.

"Hey Care! Nik," Stefan smiled at his friends. "Wanna sit down?"

The two nodded and Caroline sat beside Lexi, and Klaus next to Stefan. Klaus reached his hand across the table and took a fry off of Lexi's plate, which made her glare at him and slap his hand.

"Don't touch my fries, Klaus," she growled.

He held up his hands in defense. "Geez, this girl's got a low tolerance."

"Oh shut up, Nik," Caroline smiled at her fiancé. She turned to Lexi and bumped her shoulder. "Now who's dating who, give me all the gossip!"

Lexi chuckled awkwardly. "Oh.. Uhm, Tyler and Liv Parker."

"Liv Parker? Kai's sister, right?" Caroline asked, completely unfazed by the fact her ex-boyfriend is in a new relationship. "What's the deal with Kai, anyway? Bonnie visited him in prison and he said all he wants is a new start. Anyone believe that?"

Lexi shook her head. "No. But Liv and Luke believe him, and that's good enough for me. She asked me and Tyler to stop searching, and since we couldn't find anything to begin with, we agreed. But Liv can take care of herself, Luke too. And Kai's getting help, so I guess that benefits everyone. I'm sure it'll all be fine." Caroline nodded as she listened to her friend.

Klaus nodded in understanding once Lexi finished speaking. "Ahhh.. I get it."

"What do you get?" Lexi raised an eyebrow.

"You and Tyler spent all this time sleuthing and spying, that you developed a little crush."

Caroline gasped. "You had a crush on Tyler?! Oh my god!"

Lexi hung her head in shame. "Okay, fine. But he was into Liv the whole time, so it doesn't matter. But I have a date next weekend so I'm moving on very well, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, good for you," Stefan patted her wrist.

"I just can't believe you had a crush on Tyler," Caroline muttered.

"Why? Jealous, love?" Klaus smirked.

"Yeah, as if," Caroline rolled her eyes. "But, aww Liv and Tyler are dating now? That's cute!" She saw Lexi's glare and stuttered, "No, wait. Bad couple idea, sorry."

"Well, I think they're adorable," Klaus added, not caring about Lexi's feelings.

Stefan laughed and shook his head. "So speaking of cute couples.. Have you two decided on a wedding date?" He asked Klaus and Caroline.

"Ugh," Lexi pretended to barf.

Caroline glared at her before turning to Stefan and grinning. "I want to do it sometime in either the next summer, or maybe Valentine's Day of 2016. But Klaus thinks that's too cheesy."

"I never said that," Klaus lied.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "He totally thinks that."

Klaus sighed. "I don't care when or where we get married, as long as we do get married."

"Ew," Lexi stated while Stefan said, "Aww."

Caroline smiled before saying. "That's so sweet, and I feel the same way. But I actually do care about the little things. So.. Beach or chapel?"

...

"Hey Matt!" April waved to get the blonde's attention. "Catch!" She threw the bag of Cheetos in the air. Matt caught the bag with one hand. He smiled at his friend.

"April! What are you doing here?" He asked.

Rebekah appeared behind April, hooking her arm around her friend's shoulder. "We were just going to have a movie night. Want to join us?" She joked.

Matt shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

April laughed while Rebekah feigned hurt. "Nothing better to do? I am so offended, Matthew Donovan."

The trio of friends all sat on the couch in Matt's living room.

"Okay, first things first," April spoke. "You two can be a couple, but not too mushy-mushy, because then that'll gross me out and make me feel like such a third wheel."

"You do realize that you're marrying us, right?" Matt clarified.

April nodded but shrugged. "It's a movie night. But you guys _have_ to watch the movie."

"Well, I definitely want to watch this movie, so don't get any ideas, Matt," Rebekah said.

"What movie are we watching?" Matt asked.

"The Wizard of Oz."

"Awesome! Bringing back childhood memories. I'll go get the popcorn!" Matt exclaimed, leaving to go into the kitchen.

Rebekah and April shared a laugh. They both grabbed a blanket from the chair and settled on the couch. When Matt came back with the popcorn, Rebekah was putting the movie in the DVD player. Matt took a seat next to April, and threw popcorn at her face. She laughed and grabbed a handful, stuffing it in his face.

Rebekah turned around and shrieked at Matt, "You're in my seat!"

"You snooze, you lose," Matt teased.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and flopped down on Matt's other side. She reached over and snuck her hand in the bowl of popcorn.

"We have Cheetos, you know," Matt nodded at the big, orange bag.

"I know. Those can be for later."

"Guys, shut up, the movies starting!" April hissed.

Matt chuckled and lifted his arm around his fiancé. He kissed her hair and she snuggled into his side as the movie started.

April scoffed, "Guys! This is what I mean. All mushy-mushy." Rebekah and Matt both rolled their eyes, but Matt could see April smile softly out of the corner of his eyes.

...

Damon sighed, running his right hand down his face. Another person was killed last night. Summer Deyes. What does this person have in common with Jacob Fell? Damon was wracking his brain trying to figure out this murder. The killer was damn good at hiding their tracks. The specialists could not find anything relevant to anyone in this town. He almost wanted to throw something out the window because he could not stand by while someone else gets hurt. The next person could be someone he cares about, and he will not allow that to happen.

"Damon?" Enzo knocked on his friend's office door. "You ready for our lunch break?" He grinned.

Damon shook his head and continued flipping through papers. "Not hungry."

Enzo's smile faltered. "Come on, you can't just bury yourself in work.."

"There is a serial killer on the loose, Enzo! We can't just sit back and do nothing!"

"Damon's right." Both men turned and there was Sheriff Forbes standing behind Enzo. He moved out of the way to let his boss into the office. She shut the door behind her and motioned for Enzo to follow her to Damon's desk. "We found another victim this morning."

"You're kidding," Enzo said.

"Afraid not," Liz answered.

Damon sighed. "Who is it now?"

"Jamie Wilson."

Damon's eyes widened. "Bonnie's step-brother?"

"Wait, Bonnie has a brother?" Enzo asked.

"Her mom got remarried two years ago, and her husband died last year, but Bon's not that close with the son," Damon quickly answered.

"All three victims were killed the same way. Twenty-two stab wounds." Liz opened all three victim's autopsies.

"What's with the number?" Enzo asked.

A light bulb suddenly went off in Damon's head. "They aren't connected.."

"What?" The Sheriff motioned for her deputy to elaborate.

The wheels kept turning in Damon's head as he started to explain. "This killer.. If it's who I think it is.. Then the three victims have no connection. It was random. Or they could have all just pissed off this person at one time or another. But they picked twenty-two for a reason. They're going to kill twenty-two people. They've already gotten three, there's still nineteen people in danger."

"Who do you think is the killer?" Enzo asked.

Damon sighed. "This guy named Markos. And if I'm right about him.. I just have a feeling that I'm next."

When Liz took a group of officers to Markos' house, he had broke down and accepted responsibility for his crimes. He apparently holds terrifying grudges on people, including Kai, and knowing all about the Gemini Industry, he wanted to use the number 22 to frame Kai. His plan didn't work out. He didn't even get too far in his operation. But it's a good thing that nineteen people were saved for being murdered out of cold blood.

When Damon heard they arrested Markos, he breathed in relief. Another mystery down, and the town can go back to being safe and happy. He thought about all of the people in his life, and how everything seems to be going well. There was nothing he needed to fix. There's nothing necessarily wrong, and everyone can finally breathe. All loose ends are being tied up.

It's almost the end of summer, and it's a new beginning.

...

"Hey Freya," Elijah smiled as he knocked on the guest room door. He noticed she had been making herself at home, and he was eager to have this conversation with her. She looked up from her bed and grinned.

"Elijah! What's up?" She turned her body around and stood up so she could talk to her brother.

"I need to talk to you.." He walked into her room.

"About what?"

He sighed. "Well, you know how I've been working with lawyers and child care and adoption centers to get full custody of you?"

She nodded warily. She knew she had put the situation on a weird opening, and that it was going to take a while for her to be fully safe. She felt bad about putting so much pressure on Elijah, but everyone reassured her that he'd be able to pull it off.

"We have a break through!" He cheered.

She stared at him trying to process what he was saying. "You.. What?" A big smile spread across her face.

"Yes! I guess there was a call made to your previous foster home, and one of the mothers gave a good word.. You are off the hook for leaving the country unexpectedly. One of your Foster mothers paid the feredal expenses and everything is ready to go. But.. there's only one thing left to do. And this might be the hard part now."

"What is it?"

"Once your identity had been proven, custody over you fell directly to our mother, because it always goes right to a birth parent unless they had signed over their rights. Our mother never did that with you. She still has her rights. And I haven't spoken to her since I kicked her out of my house, so I don't know how I'll do this. I feel bad asking Finn because he did such a good job with telling her to leave us alone for good.. And I couldn't ask anyone else to do it. Once she does sign over her rights, we can-"

"Who has to sign over their rights?" A voice from the hall asked. Finn came into the room with two bags in his hands. "Are you talking about visiting mother?"

Elijah didn't answer. Instead he just stared at the two bags and asked, "What are you doing here, brother?"

Finn glanced at the two bags. "Oh, Sage and I bought a few gifts for the twins. I was just dropping them off.." He shook his head. "Never mind about that. You can't go see mother!"

"And why not?" Elijah stood.

"Because she's not expecting us to ever see her again.." Finn's voice trailed off.

"But she needs to sign over her rights so one of us can get custody of Freya," Elijah stated.

"I get that. But.. Mother is a complicated subject.."

"I know that. Trust me, I don't want to see her."

Before Finn could respond, his cell phone started ringing. He gave an apologetic look to his brother and sister before pulling his phone out of his pocket. He went into the hallway to take the phone call, leaving Freya and Elijah to speak more about her adoption.

"You could always send one of your assistances to get the paper signed if you don't want you or our siblings to go there," Freya suggested.

Elijah nodded numbly. "There's something more than what Finn is telling me. He acted weird for weeks and now all the sudden he's completely fine. And then we mention our mother and he just acts all weird and crazy and distant again..."

"Is it because of the money?" Freya asked.

Elijah stared at her. "What money?"

"Him and Sage were fighting over how Esther asked for money to leave you guys alone. I think they took care of it," she explained.

Elijah glanced toward the door. He wondered why Finn never told him about their mother manipulating him again. He felt bad that he couldn't do anything to help. He'll have to ask how much he can pay Finn back when he gets the chance.

Finn walked back into the room and Elijah didn't hesistate to break out his speech. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Finn was still staring at his phone in shock. He heard Elijah's voice and snapped out of his trance. "What?"

"Mother asked you for money. You paid her off, didn't you?"

Finn sighed. "She asked for money, yes. But we didn't pay her. Me and Sage figured out another way, and Mother suprisingly listened to us. She's out of our hair.. For good, actually."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked.

Finn took a deep breath, looking between two of his siblings. "That was her nursing home on the phone.. They, uh, Mother has taken a turn for the worst."

"What does that mean?"

"She died in her sleep last night."

* * *

**Phew. I have wrapped up all the loose ends. Guess what that means? Time jump! And more drama! Seriously, I'm pretty sure most of you will be angry with what I have planned. Or really sad. Either works.**

**So this was just a quick little chapter (it's not that short now that I think about it) to wrap things up so I can do a time jump, so tell me what you guys thought! And what do you guys predict will happen next chapter? I will be fast-forwarding to October, by the way.**

**So tomorrow is my birthday! And I'm pretty sure I got a job today! So I'm pretty happy. Although, I have to finish this really stupid book for English class, and I have to go back to school in two days, and now I'm sad. I just want to sit at home and read Percy Jackson. And watch One Tree Hill.**

**Anyway.. Now that I have school again, who knows when I'll next update? I have already started the next chapter, so hopefully it'll be up very soon. But until then, byeee! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been on in a while, okay don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you! I just started working and I'm so excited haha I work at an ice cream place and the people are really nice and I already got my first paycheck! **

**OKAY WAIT I LOST MY PHONE MORE LIKE SOMEONE STOLE IT SO I NOW HAVE WASTED TIME TO WRITE I AM SO UPSET I MEAN NOT THAT I HAVE TIME BUT BECAUSE I MIGHT LOSE ALL MY PICTURES AND WE HAVE NO INSURANCE AND I HATE EVERYTHING. and I was supposed to see Pitch Perfect 2 with my friend but I don't know anymore because I lost my fucking phone. I swear to god I looked everywhere but someone took it and shut it off and we can't track it and I just want to cry. But I have free time so hey why not finish this chapter.**

**Anyway, enough about me..**

**Let's get this show on the road, shall we? :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

*October 2014*

Two months have passed since the death of Esther Mikaelson. Her children were in no position to grieve, just like they had been at their father's funeral. How can you grieve someone who treated you like crap, or who was never there for you? The mother that they had loved when they were children had died in their hearts many years ago, and they had already grieved _her. _So when the monster that wore the face of their mother passed away, not many tears were shed at the funeral. Freya was mourning the mother she never had, but just like her siblings, she had nothing to miss and therefore nothing to cry about.

But despite the siblings' hatred for their mother, they still had a lovely ceremony for her. It was outside on a sunny, summer day, with the wind blowing at just the right motion. None of them were the right person to say a few words, so no one gave a eulogy. The priest just said a few words, stupid townspeople "cried" and paid respects for someone they barely knew, they sang a song, and then they shipped her body back to their hometown for her to be buried in the cemetery she wanted.

It was nothing special. It was nothing extraordinary. It was just a goodbye.

With the Mikaelson's mother put down, Kai sane, and the psycho killer put away, Mystic Falls was almost a happy place for once. Ten weeks passed. Everything was quiet.

_Normal. _

Katherine and Elijah were on the countdown to the arrival of their babies. Rebekah and Matt were planning every inch of Europe they were going to explore on their honeymoon. Caroline was eager to start planning for her and Klaus's wedding, while Klaus's art career took off like a rocket. Elena's book became a best seller, and the company ordered six more books to be written. Bonnie graduated college, _finally_, and was able to get her safe homes business up and running almost immediately (thanks to fundraisers and donations from Caroline and her famous friends). Kai took over his father's company, and was slowly earning his family's trust again. Tyler and Liv, Anna and Jeremy, and Enzo and Rose, were all going strong. Pearl had come around and accepted her daughter's relationship with a Gilbert, but Anna never moved back home because she felt it was time to spread her wings so she officially moved in with Jeremy. Freya started high school and quickly made two friends named Kaya and Max.

But of course.. Nothing can go too well for anyone in Mystic Falls.

...

Jenna woke up with a sharp pain in her stomach. She clutched her belly, as if guarding it would prevent any more pain. She felt as though a million tiny knives were poking at her insides, and she grumbled out in pain. Regular cramps were never this bad.

"Jen.." Alaric whispered. He heard her tossing in her sleep and as he slowly gained consciousness he heard her groan out in pain. He opened his eyes and rested his arm over her body. "Are you okay, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. He stroked her cheek with his fingertips, leaving a warm, tingly feeling on her face. She clutched his hand and held it to her face, kissing his palm.

Jenna shook her head, although he couldn't see her in the dark. "I'm fine, Ric. I just.. Have cramps, that's all- OW!" She helped as another sharp pain hit.

He soothed her stomach and kissed her forehead. "I'll go get you some water-"

"No, I'll get it. I have to pee anyway."

She clapped her hands and the lights burned bright as they turned on. She lifted the covers off her body and froze when she saw a puddle of blood where she sat. That was when she realized the feeling that she had to pee, wasn't that. She thought she already peed her pants, which was embarrassing, but what could you do when you're five months pregnant? But the blood.. The blood.

"What's all that blood..?" Her husband asked, although deep down he knew the answer. Jenna felt her eyes pool up with tears and her heart shattering into a million pieces.

She wanted a child for so long. She was excited for this baby, both of them were. They were going to be a _family_.

But the blood could only mean one thing. And miracles just don't happen to people like them.

...

Elena dashed through the hospital enterence at five in the morning. Her heart was racing and her brain was clouded. She got a call from Ric twenty minutes ago, and it sounded urgent and important. His voice was cracking, as if he had been crying, and Elena knew something terrible had happened. She jumped out of bed, waking up Damon, and told him they needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. They couldn't leave Christian all alone, but both of them needed to be there with Alaric and Jenna. They both quickly threw on some clothes before Damon quietly picked up a sleeping Chris and the small family got in the car, racing to the hospital.

Elena reached the front desk, and slammed her palms on the desk to keep her balance. She was out of breath from running from the car to the building, but she still managed to make out the words, "Jenna Saltzman. She... She's, uhm, something happened. She's pregnant and-"

The man at the reception just nodded sadly, as if he knew exactly what was going on. He told her that her Aunt was in room 503. She mumbled a "thank you" before motioning for Damon to follow her.

Damon's eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep and the news he was dreading to hear. He carried his still-sleeping son in his arms as he followed his wife down a corridor.

...

"I am so sorry.." The nurse said in a sad voice. She was performing x-rays on Jenna's swollen stomach, but all the screens showed was a dead fetus. The speakers picked up no heartbeat. "Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman, I regret to inform you that you have had a miscarriage."

Both of them knew that. They had prepared themselves to hear those words since they saw the blood on the bed sheets. But hearing the words, seeing it on the sonogram, hearing no heartbeat as opposed to the healthy, vibrant one they had heard just a few weeks ago, it made it all the more real.

Did they do something wrong?

Everything was fine during their last appointment. If something was wrong, their doctor should have told them. Warned them. Suggested doing something different. Something that could have prevented this. Surely, _something _could have been done differently to stop this horrible, terrific heartbreak.

It _had_ to have been them. They must have done something wrong. Because no unborn child should have died for absolutely no reason. _Nobody _should die for no reason.

_It wasn't fair._

Alaric stared at his dead child on the monitor. He didn't know what to think. He _couldn't_ think. His swore his heart stopped beating, and his lungs stopped breathing. At least, that's how it should have been. He should have stopped breathing before his child had. The nurse had told them that they were going to have a baby girl. He was supposed to have a daughter.

_His little girl._

Damon was supposed to be the God Father, and Elena the God Mother. Jeremy and Katherine and Elijah and Emma and Chris and the twins were supposed to be this little girl's family. She was going to have so many people to adore her. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Enzo, they were all supposed to be in his daughter's life, making her smile and being her friend.

Alaric was supposed to buy his daughter anything and everything she wanted. He was supposed to teach her everything he knew about history and she would be just as fascinated as he was. He was supposed to make her laugh when she was sad, and wipe away the tears of a broken heart. He was supposed to protect her from bullies and teach her to stand up for herself. He was supposed to love her.

But instead, the fates decided she was supposed to _die_. To never be able to breathe fresh air or see sunlight. She would never laugh or cry, be happy or sad or angry. She would never live, because she died before she even got the chance to see the real world.

What was fair about that? Nothing.

And Alaric couldn't handle that. He didn't want to be strong for his wife. He wanted to have this child just as much as she did. He didn't think he had it in him to just sit there and comfort Jenna. He did the only thing he could; he broke down and sobbed.

Jenna was a mess as soon as they had left the house. She had started crying and has not stopped. When the doctor finally told them she had a miscarriage, all of her hopes and dreams came crashing down. When she had found out she was pregnant four months ago, she should have known it was too good to be true. She want to have a baby so badly, but she just wasn't meant to be a mother.

The doctor told her she had done nothing wrong, her body just wasn't made to carry a child. The hospital feels terrible they weren't able to detect it sooner. It would have saved this couple a lot of heartbreak.

_And they should feel bad_, Jenna thought.

She wanted to sob herself to sleep, but she had cried herself dry and felt immensely hydrated. Her husband melted into a mess, similar to how she was for the past hour. She reached out and touched his hand. The nurse had left them alone to give them a moment.

Alaric looked up at her from where he hid his face in his hands. He crawled in the hospital bed with her and they just laid there. They held each other as they mourned the death of their daughter.

...

"Elena!" Katherine cried as she and Elijah ran into the waiting room. She had been sound asleep when Elijah woke her up, telling her that her sister had been on the phone. She glanced at the clock and groaned, asking why Elena had to call at five in the morning. Elijah gave her a sad look and whispered that Jenna had been emmited to the hospital, and the odds weren't looking too good for the baby. Katherine was wide awake then. Her hands automatically flew to her stomach, as if making sure her children were still there. She could only hope her cousin would be okay, because she could not imagine losing her own babies. "Please tell me.. They didn't.."

Elena stood sadly from her seat next to Damon and shook her head. "They lost the baby."

Katherine felt her heart break for her Aunt and Uncle. She didn't understand why this had to happen. As tears fell down her cheeks, she felt her sister embrace her in a hug. She hugged her back tightly, as if holding on for dear life.

"What's wrong with Jenna?" The twins heard Jeremy's voice crack from the hallway. Their brother/cousin had arrived only moments after Katherine and Elijah. All he had gotten was a EMERGENCY JENNA HOSPITAL NOW text from Elena. He feared the worse, and he was about to hear that his fears were true. "Is she alright?" He asked. He walked toward his sister and cousin, slowly as though it might prolong the devastating news. "The baby? Is she alright, too?"

Elena pulled out of her twin's hug and turned to her brother. A tear fell down her cheek as she whispered, "She lost the baby."

Jeremy gasped and felt a thousand daggers destroy his heart. He could feel a comforting hand on his back. Anna. He had told her to stay at home, that she didn't have to come to be with his family. But she insisted that his family were hers too. They were great people, and she wanted to be there in case something terrible had happened. Jeremy was then grateful she had insisted on coming, because he really needed her.

Elena lifted her thumb to wiper the tears that were pooling in her brothers eyes.

"What happened?" Jeremy asked.

"We don't know," Elena shrugged. "Damon and I just got here 10 minutes ago. They won't let us in. After the doctor had gave the news to Jenna and Alaric, he came out and we asked what was wrong. He told us she had a miscarriage, but they probably don't want any visitors right now. We respect that, but we're going to wait here. It's the least we can do."

Damon stood from his chair, handing a still-sleeping Christian to Elijah. "Those idiots need to let me in! I can't just sit out here while my best friend is losing his daughter.." Damon balled his fists. He was angry, but he was more miserable. He let go of the ball he made with his fist and sighed. He ran his fingers through his dark, raven hair. "I wish there was something I could do," he said finally.

"We all wish that, Damon," Elena said.

"I don't even want to think about how those two are feeling," Elijah spoke. "Again, like Damon said, I wish there was something any of us could do." He sat down in a vacant chair, cradling his nephew. He smoothed the hair out of his eyes and rubbed the child's back. He kissed the top of the young boy's head, and smiled sadly at his wife who had been staring at him with tears in her eyes.

Katherine stared at her husband. She couldn't find words to speak. She suddenly felt a darkness looming over her heart and she couldn't get a nagging thought out of her head. She looked over at Elena, who was talking quietly with Damon. Both looked incredibly grief-stricken, and she couldn't blame them. Over in the corner, Jeremy was being comforted by his girlfriend. There was no one else in the waiting room. Just them, and the receptionist at the desk. The anguish in the room was almost overwhelming, almost cutting off her will to breathe. She took a deep intake of air, but it wasn't enough. She let out an estranged cry, and when everyone turned to look at her, blood flowed in her cheeks deeper than normal.

"I.." She shook her head, as if assuring them she was alright. Elijah stood up, going to help her, but she motioned him back. "I'm fine. I just.. I need some fresh air." She announced before turning on her heels and retracing the way she came.

When she reached the doors leading to outside, she pushed at the handles with all her might, not caring if she snapped the door off the hinges. She was so angry and upset, she felt like the Incredible Hulk who could smash anything or anyone that pissed her off.

Breathing in fresh air made her feel a lot better. Her head started clearing and she no longer felt the unbarring weight of the doleful atmosphere in the waiting room. She continued a steady breathing until she felt almost normal again. She glanced at the glass doors, and instead of going back inside with her family, she sat down on the bench outside. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, protecting herself from the crisped, cold, October morning.

"Are you alright, Katerina?" She heard a voice ask after the door had opened and closed once again. She knew it was Elijah, who obviously followed her. She turned to snap at him for not leaving her alone, but seeing the distress on his face made her backtrack. But she wasn't just going to stay silent. The thoughts in her mind from five minutes ago came rushing back, and she needed to tell someone or else she might implode.

Another tear slid down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away before crying out, "No, I'm not alright! This isn't fair! This shouldn't have happened to Jenna. She's a good person. I'm not." She didn't mean to scream, and she didn't even mean to say those words. But the words had already been spoken, and she couldn't take them back.

Elijah stared at her, astonished. He sat down on the bench beside her. "What are you saying?"

Katherine sat silent for a moment, staring off into traffic across the parking lot. The streetlights were still on this early, but through all of the trees, she could faintly see the sun start to rise. She took a deep breath. "We're having two babies, Elijah," she finally said. "They were only having one... Why should we get to have two and they lose theirs? It's not fair. I feel like it's my fault. I feel like I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be happy."

Elijah continued to stare at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. She immediately felt guilty for expressing her doubt about their own happiness, but it was the truth about how she felt. Katherine wasn't a good person. She was mean, selfish, vain, and manipulative. Yeah, she has changed since high school, big time. But that doesn't change her past. Jenna, on the other hand, has always been kind and selfless. She took in two teenagers when she was barely an adult herself, and helped raise them through their last few years of high school. She had wild times in her youth, but at least she never had ten enemies out to get her every week.

They had both grown up and found love. They were _both _supposed to be mothers, they were supposed to figure it out together. Katherine was granted the blessing of two children, a boy and a girl. They both were insanely healthy, and due in just a few weeks. Jenna just found out she was having a daughter, and then she had to say goodbye. It wasn't fair.

"Katherine.." Elijah spoke his wife's preferred name for the first time in a while. "It is not your fault. I don't know how to prove it to you, but you are _not _responsible for the death of Jenna and Alaric's baby. And you should not feel bad about having our twins. We were blessed, and they were cursed. It's the sad fact of life, but it is what is true at the moment. Please, do not beat yourself up over this. It won't be good for Hayden and Sophia. But listen, my love.. You _do _deserve to be happy. You are going to be a great mother, and you're already an amazing wife. I love you, if it's any consolation at all, and so will our children. Just know that it is your not fault they lost the baby, and that it is completely okay to be happy about having yours."

Tears continued to cascade down Katherine's cheek. She hated always feeling like crying. Stupid hormones.

She looked into Elijah's deep hazel eyes and gave him a small smile. "You always know what to say.." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso and leaning into him. He kissed the top of her head. "Damn you and your beautiful speeches." He chuckled into her hair and rubbed the curve of her back.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked her after a moment of silence. "We should go inside, but if you want to stay out here a little longer-"

She shook her head, separating herself from him. "No, I'm fine. I'm okay now."

"You sure?" He asked. He stood up and held out his hands for her to grab.

She took his hands and he helped stand her up. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and smoothed her hair out the best she could to make herself look presentable.

She nodded and led him to the door.

...

"Would you like some coffee or anything?" Alaric asked his wife. Jenna lay on the hospital bed, half asleep, and cuddling a stuffed animal frog. She turned her head to sleepily glare at him. He mentally slapped himself. "Right.. No caffine.."

"But then again, I'm not pregnant anymore-" Jenna couldn't even say her words before breaking down into more sobs.

Alaric sat back on the bed and soothed her. "Shh.. I thought we were done crying.."

Jenna sat up and shook her head. She brought both of her hands up to cover her eyes. "No, you're right." She removed her hands from her face. "I'm okay." She let out a deep breath. She looked at him and nodded, trying to show him she was okay.

He sighed. "I never said you had to be okay. We only lost her a few hours ago.."

"Don't. Okay? I don't think I can handle another tear storm," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She wants to talk about their loss, but her voice always fails her.

He nods and kisses her temple. "We're going to be alright."

She nods, but isn't sure she believes him.

"The nurse told me we have visitors. They're been here since five in the morning," Ric explained to her.

Jenna's eyes popped open. "Oh, god. They didn't have to wait.. What time is it?" Her eyes fell on the clock above the door. Nine-thirty. "They're still here?"

"And more people showed up around eight, I think.. I haven't been out to the corridor so I wouldn't know whose here."

She nodded, settling back against her pillow. "You can go out and get a few people.. Go tell everyone I'm okay."

He raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure you're up for visitors?" He asked, concerned. He held her hand in his and gently rubbed circles on the back.

She nodded and gestured to the door. "Get Elena, Katherine, and Jeremy for me first.."

He nodded, stood up, kissed her cheek, and then turned and left the room.

...

As Alaric entered the hallway, he forgot how white the hospital walls were. He had been locked inside a dark room for hours, drowning in his own emotional darkness, that he forgot what light looked like. He turned down the corner before entering the waiting room, where many people he has grown to care about were waiting for him.

Elena and Damon were standing by the water fountain, her head on his shoulder, as they watch their son build blocks. Alaric felt a pang of envy hit his heart. He was never going to have that.

In the dozen chairs that covered the waiting room were taken by Katherine, Anna, Jeremy, Kol, Bonnie, and Caroline. Klaus and Elijah stood over by the entrance talking hushly. Rebekah and Matt sat with Tyler and Stefan on the other side of the wait room, next to the play station where Christian and Emma were playing with blocks. And finally Enzo and Rose were standing next to the vending machine, both just staring at the floor, waiting to hear from their friend.

No one seemed to notice as he walked into the waiting room. He cleared his throat, and eighteen heads turned in his direction. Those who were sitting, stood up almost immediately. Those who were standing in corners, took steps closer. Those who were playing with toys, went back to playing with their toys, as they didn't understand how tragic this situation was.

"Ric.." Elena was the first to speak. Damon was already at his best friend's side, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "How.. Are you.. How is.." She couldn't fathom her words. There was no way to ask someone how they were feeling after they lost a child.

"Did you really lose the baby?" Caroline asked, her voice sounding shattered.

Alaric glanced at the floor before looking into each one of his friends' faces, and nodded sadly.

"I'm so sorry.." Bonnie said, a tear slowly climbing down her cheek. "I can't imagine.." She looked down at Emma, who had given up on the blocks and was now putting together a puzzle.

"Is there anything we can do?" Matt asked.

Alaric shook his head. He turned to Katherine and Jeremy. "Uhm.. Jenna wants to see you two, and Elena," he turned to Elena when he said her name. "I think you three are all she can handle right now."

Jeremy and Elena automatically stepped forward, but Katherine hung back. Elena looked at her twin and nodded for her to follow.

"No, you guys go ahead.. I'm going to stay here," Katherine said.

"Why?" Jeremy asked.

"She needs you two more than me.. I don't know why she even asked for me."

"Because she loves you," Alaric said. He looked straight at Katherine. "You two were never close, not like her and Elena and Jeremy, she knows that. But these past few months, she's really enjoyed your company. I can only guess that you're afraid she blames you, but I can tell you that she doesn't. Neither of us do. Please.. Jenna loves you. Go with your sister and cousin."

Anna, who was standing next to Katherine, gave her a slight push.

Elena held out her hand for her sister, and then the three made their way down the hall.

Everyone watched them leave, and then once they were out of sight, they all turned to Alaric, not knowing what to say or do.

"Are you guys just going to stare at me?" Alaric snapped, obviously tired. After seeing the wounded looks on his friend's faces, he immediately regretted his tone. "I'm sorry.. I'm tired and stressed and.." His voice caught in his throat. "And heartbroken." Before he knew it, he had leaned himself against a wall and collapsed against it, sliding down to the floor. Damon slid down next to his best friend. He didn't try to hug or comfort or say anything. He just sat beside him in silence. He figured all you need is someone next to you, and that's really all Alaric could handle right now.

Everyone stared sadly at their older friend. He was most of their father figure, and all of their friend. He was such a nice guy, someone you could always go to when you needed advice or a hug or a drink. Jenna was also someone they adored and looked up to. Everyone knew they'd be the perfect parents, and it was horrible they weren't going to get to have that.

Emma looked up from her puzzle and noticed everyone around with sad faces. She looked over in the corner and saw her Uncle Alaric shaking with his head on his knees. She scooted on the floor toward her mom and pulled on her pant leg. Bonnie looked down at her daughter.

"Mommy, why is everyone so sad?" She asked.

Bonnie knelt down so she was eye to eye with the five year old. "It's a very sad day, sweetie."

"What happened? Why is Uncle Ric the most upset? Where did Daddy go?"

Bonnie sighed, taking her daughter's small hand in hers. "You know how Uncle Alaric and Aunt Jenna were going to have a baby?"

Emma nodded, a smile spreading on her face. "A baby! Just like Aunt Kitty-Kat and Uncle Elijah are having two babies!"

Bonnie nodded, a sad smile stretching her lips. "Right.. Well.. The thing is; they lost the baby."

Emma's nose scrunched up in confused. "Lost the baby? What do you mean? How do you lose a baby?"

Kol was now leaning next to Bonnie, who now looked too shaken up to speak. He reached his pointer finger out to gently turn the young girl's chin towards him. He glanced at Bonnie who nodded. "Em.. The baby.. Let's say, she took a trip to a magical palace up in the clouds. She can sing with angels all day, and dance with Grandma Miranda and Grandpa Grayson."

Emma was now even more confused. Whenever she heard of Grandma Miranda and Grandpa Grayson, she heard they died and went to heaven. She knew that dying was when you weren't living in the world with the people you love anymore. Heaven is where the good people go when they die.

"Do you mean.. The baby.. _died?_" Emma's bottom lip quivered.

Kol nodded. "Yes."

"But the baby wasn't even born yet! How could they know if she was a good or bad person yet?"

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked from behind Kol and Bonnie. She bent down beside her best friend and lightly touched Emma's shoulder.

"Good people go to heaven when they die, right? Where did the baby go?"

"She went to a special place for children. It's in heaven, don't you worry," Klaus spoke.

"It's a place with candy and games and toys, and lots of love," Tyler added.

"She's going to love it there," Enzo said.

"Your grandparents will come and take care of her. She'll be safe," Stefan finished.

Christian was now paying attention to what everyone was saying. "Baby Saltzman is gone?" He cried out.

When the room remained silent, both Emma and Christian had their answer. No one knew how to answer that question. Instead of breaking into tears, like everyone thought they'd do, both young children stood up and walked over to Alaric, who had been staring at the scene.

Christian climbed into Ric's lap, while Emma stood next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're still a great Uncle," Emma whispered, kissing Alaric's cheek.

"Yeah, we love you, Uncle Ric!" Christian almost squeezed the life out of his Uncle.

Alaric grabbed the two kids, and rearranged his legs so they could both sit on his lap. The two kids snuggled into his side, and as much as he loved the comfort, he still felt like crying.

...

_Knock knock._

Jenna quietly mumbled, "Come in."

The door creaked open and Elena was the first to step through the door, followed by Jeremy and Katherine. Jenna gave them a small smile, but no one said anything. Elena walked over to the hospital bed and gently took her Aunt's hand. Katherine stood beside her twin, while Jeremy went to the other side and took Jenna's other hand.

"How are you feeling?" Elena's voice came out barely in a whisper.

Katherine harshly nudged her sister. "Why the fuck would you ask that?" She hissed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say," the younger twin hissed back.

Katherine rolled her eyes but when her dark brown orbs landed on Jenna, her face softened. "I.. I-I'm so- so.." Katherine didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone who had a miscarriage? Someone who lost their baby, and yet you're still able to have yours.

Jeremy and Elena felt the same way. They both have a child. They don't know what Jenna is going through, and they hope they'll never find out. But they don't know how to react. No one knew what to say.

"We're really sorry, Jen.." Jeremy finally said. "Do you want to talk about it?" He rubbed tiny circles on the back of her hand.

Jenna shook her head. "I just wanted to see you three.. And I wanted you guys to know that I love you."

"Don't talk like that, Jenna," Elena said. "You're sounding like you're about to die, and that is not allowed to happen, you hear me?"

Jenna lightly smiled. "Well, then. I guess I'll stay around and bug you a little bit longer." It hurt her heart to say such light-hearted things but she knew she should at least act normal. She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Katherine teased, hoping to light the mood. Noticing Jenna's face, Katherine's smile faded. She shouldn't have come. She wasn't helping.

And Jenna was staring at her baby bump.

Katherine self-consciously lifted her hand to rest on her stomach. Jenna's eyes looked up to meet her niece's. Katherine's voice caught in her throat. Jenna didn't say a word and instead turned to Elena.

"How long have you guys been here?"

"Since five," Elena answered.

"You didn't have to come so early.."

"We would have ran to the moon and back at three in the morning with negative a hundred hours of sleep and no coffee to see you," Jeremy spoke. "At least I would have."

"Me too," Elena added.

Katherine was quiet for a moment. It was then she realized, that after all of this bonding with Jenna these past few months, she would have too. She can see why Jenna is one of Jeremy and Elena's best friends. Yes, they're close in age, but Jenna is really cool and more like a big sister. She's loving and kind and smart and funny and sweet and she knows how to have a good time and a good conversation. She's a great friend, and a great wife, and would have made a great mother. She didn't deserve this to happen to her.

"I would have, too," Katherine spoke in a small voice.

Jenna turned her head to her long-lost niece. "Really?"

The curly brunette nodded. "I've really enjoyed your company.. And I hope we don't stop hanging out now that.. I just, I never really had any friends, and it's been nice to have one lately, even if it was my Aunt. You're a great person, and I'm sorry this happened to you."

Jenna smiled and reached out the hand Elena had dropped. Katherine put her hand in her Aunt's and smiled. Elena crawled into bed next to Jenna, while Jeremy pulled up a chair so he could sit and still hold her hand. Katherine remained standing, thought she shouldn't because of her pregnancy, and played with the older woman's fingers. The bright, diamond wedding ring glimmered from the fluorescent light.

After a few moments of silence, Jenna finally found words to speak. "I know I'm not very talkative right now.. But it's very nice to be surrounded by family. I just enjoy your presence, so thank you."

Elena kissed the blonde's cheek, while Jeremy kissed her hand. Katherine smiled and said,  
"Well, it's nice to finally have a family."

Elena grinned and held out her hand to her twin. "You've always been welcomed."

"I have." Katherine grabbed ahold of the hand. "And it's much better than the family I grew up with. I mean.. They're trying, now. But, I think I like you guys better."

"You _think_?" Jeremy coughed.

"No, I know," Katherine laughed.

Jenna laughed lightly. "Thanks for bringing a smile on my face."

"No problem," Jeremy said.

"And don't forget," Elena reminded her. "Whenever you're ready to talk, we'll all be here."

Katherine and Jeremy nodded in agreement.

"I know," Jenna smiled.

* * *

**I know, I'm Satan. Mwahaha. Okay, I'm only kidding, this is not funny, and I know I probably seem like the worst person ever because of what happened to Alaric at his wedding in canon TVD universe and I swear this has been on my potential storylines list since November so they took it from me! I feel incredibly bad about this now, but I already wrote it, and now I'm posting it so we're going to have to deal with this heartbreak.**

**But, oh boy, if you think this is the last heartbreak of this fanfiction.. You're sadly mistaken. I was going easy on you guys the first nineteen chapters! We had drama, but we didn't have like any important deaths. You guys are probably _really_ going to hate me in the next couple of chapters..**

**But don't worry though, if you know my top five favorite characters of TVD/TO then you know they're infinitely safe and I'd never be able to kill them off. Oooh.. Let's have a contest! Whoever can guess my five favorite TVD/TO characters, gets a shout out next chapter! You guys up for the challenge?**

**Anyway.. I'm sorry if this chapter made you cry. Well, not really, because that was my goal, but I doubt I made you cry. If I did, then I'm sorry, but then again I'm not because that means my words can move people to tears, so I'm actually kind of proud of myself.**

**But no, seriously. I still feel like a horrible person for killing off a baby and I don't even know why I came up with this idea all of those months ago. **

**Please tell me if you liked it or loved it or hated it (although be nice if you hated it)! Review your thoughts :)**

**What do you guys think will happen next chapter? Until next time xx**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! So guess who has no job, her sister and nieces and unborn nephew are moving away, and has no motivation for writing? But on the bright side; I got my nose pierced, I bought my plane ticket to go visit my bestest friend (and number one fan) this summer, lost some weight and got new summer clothes, and am LOVING the Percy Jackson and then the Heroes of Olympus series! Yeah so remember how last chapter I said someone stole my phone? Yep, never got it back, I had to buy a new one, and the next day I lost my job because they decided to hire the "older" kids because they "can stay until midnight." But whatever, I decided to just be a kid this summer, I have plenty of time to get a job.. I'm just so stressed about college and I feel like I don't do enough even though I play a sport and an instrument and am on honor roll, but I swear next year I will join a club and do some volunteering with my friend and then work NEXT summer! Ah, this is kind of going off track...**

**OKAY SO I FINALLY CAUGHT UP ON TVD AND I AM just very upset about everything. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but I actually like how they wrote Elena off, and I CRIED during that Barolena scene especially THE FEATHERS I mean all of the other goodbyes were sad but there's a chance everyone else CAN see her again, and I also like how Elena is FINALLY doing something for our precious kickass BonBon. But I am SO VERY SAD about the Parkers (Liv, Jo, and yes, Kai) like I can't even comprehend how sad I am. But that's all of the spoilers I will give. Oh, and I am still just so confused about that ending tbh like what... **

**Okay so I had actually totally forgot about my contest! But, I am actually really impressed by how close some of you came, and I am even more impressed that one of you actually managed to get ALL FIVE of my favorite characters! So let's give it up for Chelseab95, who guessed Damon, Caroline, Klaus, Kol, and Matt! And guest Kennett fan had gotten four out of five right, so props to you honey!**

**But you all did especially well, and honestly Matt and Bonnie are actually tied for fifth place as my favorite character (Matt has just been my favorite since season two, and Bonnie is just a precious kickass angel that I just want to hug forever and I never want anything bad to happen to her ever). Damon and Caroline used to my favorites, but they've been bumped back by my recent obsession with Kol. And Klaus is just too great not to love. **

**Anyway.. Let's get on with this chapter! I wasn't going to bring another heartbreaking topic in for another chapter or two.. I thought you guys needed a happy break, but I decided to be the devil once again. Mwahaha :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Caroline woke up to the sound of blue birds singing a lively tune. She sighed and closed her eyes, wishing she could hear anything other than the blissful music, as the events in the past twenty-four hours were anything but blissful. She thought back to the phone call she received at six o'clock in the morning, the anxiety-filled car ride to the hospital, the depressing news she received in the waiting room, and the tears clouding up in her eyes and falling down her cheeks as she witnessed the heartbreaking exchange between her friends. Feeling tears spring to her eyes once again, she quickly slapped her face. She opened her eyes, and the birds had stopped singing. They seemed to notice that this house didn't need a wake up call. The only music they needed was sad, one that meant something. She took a deep breath and turned her body to curl herself up to the body sleeping beside her.

Except all she felt was empty sheets.

"Nik?" She sat up and called. She looked around the bedroom and saw no sight of her boyfriend. Correction- _fiancé._ She still couldn't get used to the beautiful ring on her left index finger. She was always so giddy when she thought of her future with Klaus. It looked so promising, and she could not wait.

She climbed out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, which had been closed. She did not hear the shower, or any sign of life in the bathroom. She started to walk out of their bedroom and down the hallway to his studio when she almost tripped over a furry, blonde tail.

_"Woof!" _Henry barked, jumping out of his comfortable ball.

She bent down to the ground. "Aww, baby, I'm sorry!" She petted her dog and scratched him behind his ears. He licked her leg and nuzzled his nose against her pajama shorts. She gently ruffled his face as he leaned upwards to kiss her nose. She giggled and picked up the small puppy. "Have you seen your daddy?" Henry tilted his head before barking. "Do you know where he is?" Henry wagged his tail, anxious to get down. Caroline gently set the golden retriever on the floor, and as the puppy took off down the hall, Caroline had to run to keep up with him.

Henry had led Caroline into the kitchen where she found her fiancé sitting in the window seat, staring out into the sunrise.

Klaus didn't seem to notice his family's entrance, either that or he didn't show notice. He took a sip of his coffee, and continued staring out the window. Caroline rubbed the top of Henry's head, before the dog ran back into the living to curl up on the couch.

Caroline slowly walked up behind Klaus and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin on the top of his head. "What's on your mind?" She asked, her head falling down to the crook of his neck. Her breath felt hot on his neck, her lips slightly grazing before leaving a kiss on his cheek.

Klaus shrugged. He leaned his head back so he could kiss her forehead. "I'm just thinking."

"About?" She started to lightly massage his shoulders. His muscles were all tense, but the touch of her fingertips almost instantly loosened them.

"Everything." He was silent for a moment. "How Katherine could have easily been Jenna," he finally said.

"Since when do you care about Katherine?" Caroline asked, her voice falling quiet.

Klaus shook his head. "I don't, but I care about my brother. And I care about my unborn niece and nephew. I just don't think any of this is fair.. And the worst part? I just have this dark feeling that things are supposed to get worse."

Caroline's hands dropped to her sides. She didn't want to admit that Klaus was right, but the feeling in the pit of her stomach was aching.

"We can't think like that.." her optimism tried to say, but her voice faltered. She decided to perk up. "Hey!" She slapped his shoulder, making him jump in surprise at her sudden mood change. "I'm going to hang out with my mom today. Wanna come?"

"Hmm.." He pretended to think about it. "Hang out with my overly perky fiancé and her sort of intimidating mother, or stay at home and do nothing?"

"Actually, Mister, you have a deadline with your next art piece. That charity foundation wants you to design a billboard logo so more people can know about their cause."

"A Child's Wish?" He confirmed. She nodded. "I actually finished the piece this morning. I stayed up all night doing it.. I had some inspiration," he said sadly.

Caroline nodded. "So.. Can I see it?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, you may not. At least, not until it is up on a billboard."

"But.. How can I not see it?"

"It's locked away."

"Nik!" She cried.

"You'll see it eventually. My agent is coming by tomorrow to pick it up."

She pouted. "Well.. Then, what are you going to do today?"

"Is it too late to intrude on the Forbes women's mother-daughter day?"

Caroline smiled and shook her head. "I think it'll be fine."

...

"How are you feeling?" Elena asked as she reached up to hug Alaric. She was on her way to work, when she decided to stop by the Saltzmans' apartment for a few minutes.

Alaric choked up and couldn't find the words to speak. "Well.. I-uh, we're doing okay, I guess."

Elena mentally slapped herself. "I'm sorry, that was such a stupid question. You guys only came home last night.."

"No, it's okay." Alaric nodded. "We're just.. Going to take the next couple of weeks off to heal and mourn. The school understands our situation. But after we've taken the time to heal, we know we have to try to get back into the swing of things. Get back to normal. It's not going to be easy, but we have to try."

Elena nodded. "It's hard losing someone you love. Especially in the situation you're in.. It just doesn't make any sense. But I think some time off is a good thing for you guys. And yes, getting back to normal would be the healthy thing. But if there's one thing I've learned from the loss I've had in my life, is that you need to let yourself drown in your sorrows. Don't be afraid to be upset. Don't be afraid to be so heartbroken that you can't move for a day. Don't be afraid to not be able to get out of bed, or answer that phone call. Because once you're done drowning, it makes it all the more easier to swim. You'll float back to the top. Life will be harder, but I swear you guys can do it. You and Jenna are two of the most strongest people I've ever met. I love you both so much, and I know you two will be okay."

Ric nodded and kissed the top of Elena's head. "Thank you, 'Lena. Your unconditional love is touching, but your phone calls every ten minutes is getting kind of aggravating."

She chuckled at the last part, and to her relief she saw a small smile curl at the corner of his lips.

"I'm sorry. How about every twenty minutes?"

"Twice a day is fine with us. Case closed," Alaric finished.

"Okay, then," Elena smiled. "Is Jenna awake?"

He shook his head. "No, she's still sleeping. I'm positive she needs it, and she won't be up for another few hours. I can let her know that you stopped by."

"Any chance that during your two weeks off, you guys want company?"

Alaric thought for a moment. Finally, he shook his head. "I'm honestly not really sure we're ready.. We just need to be alone for a while."

Elena gave her Uncle a sad nod. "I completely understand." She rested her hand on his. "But _please_, if you ever need _anything, _do not be afraid to call. When you guys are ready for company, I will be the first person at that door, okay?"

Alaric smiled gratefully at her, or as much as he could smile these days. "I promise you will be the first person we call."

Elena nodded before leaning up to hug him once last time. "Send my love to Jenna," she said before she left through the door.

...

Rebekah sat at her work desk typing away when her line of vision was suddenly blocked by darkness. Hands covered her eyes, and she could hear someone breathing like Darth Vader behind her. The voice of the person surprising her leant down and whispered in a not-so-scary-but-I'll-pretend-you-tried voice, "Guess who?"

She rolled her eyes and slapped the hands away from her face. "Kol bloody Mikaelson." She turned her swivel chair around to face her brother. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He shrugged and plopped himself up on her desk, scattering her papers everywhere, which made her glare at him. He ignored her death glare. "Can't a guy just drop by to see his baby sister?"

She hit his shoulder as she stood up. "I'm not your _baby _sister," she hissed. She was aggravated as she leant down to collect all of her scattered papers. "Seriously, Kol. What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he admitted. "I feel like I haven't seen you lately." She wanted to roll her eyes and laugh, but she could see that he actually meant it. She sat back down on her chair.

"Okay, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing!"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Bekah, seriously. I'm fine."

She sighed. "Okay.. Well, since I _don't _love having you around," she teased. "When are you leaving to go back to work?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"Your work. The baseball team. You're on the team out of state. Doesn't the season start back up pretty soon?"

"Ohhh.. Yeah, about that." He chuckled. "I actually asked to be transferred to the Virginia state team, so that way I can stay at home and only drive a few hours a week to practice."

She stared at him before exclaiming, "But the Virginia team sucks! You were in the big league, you bloody idiot!" She slapped his leg.

"Hey, stop ratting on the celebrity!"

"Actually, Nik is the celebrity in the family now, just so you know," she smirked.

"Oh, shut up," he teased.

"But, Kol, you hate Mystic Falls. You loved the fact that you got to leave it for a few months every year. And as much as you love me and our brothers, we're actually very irritating, you loved getting away from us, too."

He shrugged, "Yeah, I did. But now there's more stuff to stay for."

She nodded in understanding. _Bonnie. _"So.. Mr. I-won't-say-I'm-in-love, since you're now the only Mikaelson- well, besides Freya- sibling that's not married or engaged-to-be-married, when will you and Bonnie tie the knot?"

Kol sighed. "I'm not sure, honestly."

"But you guys are pretty serious, right?"

"Well, yeah. We actually, uh, talked about it. I'm not the one to completely settle down.. My views on marriage are completely liberal. Bonnie says that she doesn't need a big, white wedding for her to know that I love her. Would she like to get married one day? I think so. She said that if I ever did ask her, she wouldn't hesitate to say yes. But she'll never pressure me into asking her. I don't know if we're ready for marriage- we've only been together a little over a year. I love her, so much, she's perfect. But, I don't think I want to get married. At least, not now."

"Ever?"

"Maybe I'll change my mind in the future," he shrugged. "But I think our relationship is fine the way it is."

"Yeah, I mean.. What can you do when you're married that you can't when you're not? It's just a piece of paper, right?"

"Bekah.."

"No, I know what you mean. But some people _do _want the whole extravagant, big, white wedding. The party, and the dress. You don't, and Bonnie's cool either way, and I think that's another reason why she's perfect for you: not only do you respect her and her wishes, but she respects you and yours. Not all girls would be okay with their boyfriend never wanting to get married."

"I didn't say _never._"

She laughed, and he grinned back at her.

"Soo.. Speaking of weddings, how's the wedding planning with that commoner?" Kol joked.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Hey, you love Matt."

Kol shrugged. "Eh, he's okay." His sister gave him a pointed a look. "No, he's a great guy."

"Thank you," she grinned. "And the wedding planning is going good. We have everything planned, we just have to wait for the actual wedding to arrive."

"Oh yeah, two months, right?"

"Yup," she nodded.

"And you invited all of our old friends from London..?"

The tone of his voice made Rebekah completely understand why he came to visit her. He wanted to know who was coming to the wedding.

"Yes, I did."

"I find it weird how they fall off the face of the earth for eight-nine years, and then you get a message from Hayley. I start getting phone calls from Kaleb, and Camille and Gia start emailing Klaus and Elijah. And then everyone starts popping up on facebook. It's weird."

"Yeah, it's strange.. But they said there's a reason for everything, and we'll know when they come down."

"Wait, they're _all_ coming?"

"I sent out the invitations last month. They arrived in London three weeks ago, and they all replied almost immediately."

"Who did you invite?"

"Everyone who we cared about. I didn't just do it for me, I did it for all of us."

"So-"

"Yes, Davina is coming. I know that's why you came, Kol."

"She's definitely coming?"

"Yes. Why, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" He defended himself. "I'm just.. Nervous to see her, that's all." Rebekah stared at him. "She didn't even come to say goodbye, Bekah." His voice almost broke. "It's going to be strange seeing her again.. After what.."

"Do you think she actually did it?" She whispered. They didn't need to establish that _it _was the "abortion."

Kol shrugged. "I hope not.. I mean.. Davina's a tough girl, but she could never hurt a fly. It'd be strange to think she could actually kill a baby.. I mean, I know it wasn't even a baby yet.. But a part of me is scared that she didn't go through with it, and that she'll show up and I'll have a kid that I missed eight years of their life. I could never be a father.."

"Kol. Stop saying that."

"Saying what?"

"That you'd never be a father! Listen to me: you were willing to leave your family behind to be a father at the mere age of seventeen. You were scared, but you were brave enough to do it. And don't even get me started on Emma. You say it's not the same because you're not her actual dad? Well, she loves you like you are. And I know you love that little girl more than life itself. You're just scared to admit that you'd actually be good-"

"But _our _father-"

"Yes, I know what our father did. And what our mother did. And don't you think _we're all _petrified that we'd make those same mistakes? But look at Finn and Tate. Finn's life revolves around that little boy, and all of us love him to death. You can't keep saying that you wouldn't be a good father, that you're not good with kids, when we both know that if you ever had a kid of your own, you'd be the best father that kid could ever ask for."

Kol was speechless. He couldn't find words to speak.

"And don't you dare think that you're the most scared. Klaus is traumatized for life, more than any of us could imagine. He's just as scared as you could be, maybe even more."

"But Nik was never in either of my situations," Kol muttered.

"Maybe so," Rebekah agreed. "But he never wants kids. And I honestly don't know if Caroline would be okay with that."

"He'll change his mind. He loves Caroline."

"Yeah, he does. If he can change his mind, why can't you?"

Kol didn't have an answer to that.

"I knew it." Rebekah sighed. "Listen, I'm not telling you to go out and be a father. I'm just letting you know that you're already capable of being one, and that you'd be a great one. You're a great guy to those you love. It takes time letting people in, I get that. But you need to stop saying that you could never be a father. You always said you could never be in a committed relationship, and yet here we are."

Kol stared at his sister. He knew she was right. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, brother. Just know that you shouldn't be afraid of what's around the corner. I doubt that Davina would have had the baby without you. I know it must have been hard for her to.. you know. But, even if she did have the baby, you still have all of the time in the world to make it up to them."

"I don't really want to talk about this. I'm already anxious about seeing her again. About her meeting Bonnie."

"Have you told Bonnie?"

"Sort of.."

She rolled her eyes. "Well.. Everyone who is coming from London will be staying for a few weeks, before and after the wedding."

"What?"

"Yeah, they want to stay in town for a little longer. I think it's a nice idea. Although, I won't get too much time with them as me and Matt are leaving for our honeymoon two days after the wedding."

"Wait, why two days?"

"Because we're getting married on Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day all of the flights are closed, so we leave the twenty-sixth."

"Oh, makes sense," he nodded.

"Yeah, so-"

"Ms. Mikaelson?" A young girl knocked on the office door. "Do you have the paper work for the Jacobs twins?"

Rebekah's eyes widened, "Shit! I was doing those before.." She turned to her brother who slowly got up off the desk. "Before this arsehole showed up."

Rebekah's assistant glanced a Kol who was leaning back and forth on his heels and whistling silently to himself. "He's cute," she said aloud. Her eyes widened, "Did I actually just say that?"

Kol smirked and slid towards the girl. "I know, who could resist me? I'm amazing."

"And annoying," Rebekah stood up. "Lissa, I'll get those papers to you in ten minutes. Do you think you can stall while I finish it up?"

The girl, Lissa, nodded. "Yes m'am. One perfect stall coming up!" She winked at Kol before hurrying out the door.

"Sigh. It must be so hard being the attractive sibling," Kol said. He glanced at his sister. "Not that you would know 'cuz it's me."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "You're an arse, now leave so I can finish my paper work." She pushed his shoulders.

"I'll call you tonight, sister-"

"Yeah, yeah, love you too, now leave."

"Wait-" He couldn't finish his sentence because she slammed the door in his face.

She waved to him through the see-through yet noise-resistant glass door. He stuck his tongue out at her before turning on his heels and leaving the building. She sighed and sat down at her desk.

"You're not the one with a kid, Kol.." She mumbled to herself as she opened the email on her computer. The email that included a picture of Hayley and a little girl.

A little girl who looked just like Klaus.

...

"Hey mom!" Caroline exclaimed as she and Klaus walked into the restaurant where they were having lunch with Elizabeth Forbes.

"Oh, Caroline," Liz smiled at her daughter. She stood up to hug the younger blonde. She turned to Klaus and gave a warm smile. "Nice of you to join us, Klaus," she said as she leaned over to hug him.

"Thanks for letting me crash your lunch date," Nik joked.

"Anytime," Liz teased. The party of three sat down. "There's actually something I need to tell you guys.. And I think it's good that you're both here."

"Oh no. Mom, what's wrong?" Caroline asked. "You're not using your good-news voice, you're using your bad-news voice."

"I don't want to spoil this lunch so soon.."

"Mom! You've already mentioned something, you can't just drop a bombshell and then leave us guessing for an hour."

"Tell me about how your wedding planning is going," the Sheriff tried to change the subject.

Caroline turned to her fiancé as if to say _she is unbelievable. _

"Sheriff Forbes.." Klaus started. "I think you owe it to your daughter to let her know that everything is fine."

Liz sighed. "You're right. I do owe it to her to let her know that everything is alright. Unfortunately, I can't do that."

"And why not?" He asked.

"Because what I have to say.. Is not going to put a smile on my daughter's face."

"Mom, you're starting to scare me," Caroline said.

Liz turned to Klaus. "Isn't her smile beautiful? You wouldn't want to see our girl's beautiful smile vanish, now would you?"

Klaus glanced between his fiancé and his future mother-in-law. He could see the striking similarities between the mother and daughter. Not just in appearance, but personality, too. They were both such strong, fierce, independent women who were loving and kind at the same time. The combination of golden blonde locks, sparkling blue eyes, and charming smiles were intimidating. He knew that Caroline hadn't always been so close with her mother, that she used to sneak out and hang with boys and drink alcohol and go to college parties all while underage just to piss of her mother. She did it to ruin the "perfect image" the town had on her for being the Sheriff's daughter. But she _was _perfect. Despite her bad behavior at age sixteen, she was still the smartest, kindest, loyalist, most optimistic person in the town. Caroline and her mother eventually became incredibly close, and Klaus almost envied how their relationship was fixed with just one conversation and a heartfelt _I love you._ They were too similar to never have a good relationship, and their relationship was always a beautiful thing to witness.

But now.. He couldn't see the similarities. Elizabeth looked anxious, fear in her eyes, and color draining from her face. Caroline looked scared, tears ready to fall, her face going pale.

"The wedding planning is going great," he finally said. "Love, why don't you tell your mother about the place you picked."

Caroline stared at her fiancé in shock. She couldn't believe he took her mother's side. She gulped and turned to face her mom.

"We.. Uh, decided to get married on Valentine's Day of next year. And I want to get married at the church you and daddy got married at," she said sheepishly. "I mean, I know you two didn't work out, but there's always room for second chances. I think me and Nik could make the place lucky again."

Liz smiled. She rested her hand on top of her daughter's. "I think that is a beautiful idea, Caroline."

Caroline smiled meekly. "And I was actually wondering if you still had your wedding dress? Because I've seen pictures of your wedding and you looked _so beautiful _and I really want to wear it."

Her mother started to tear up, which started to scare Caroline. "I do still have it and uh.. You're going to make a beautiful bride, Caroline." She took a deep breath. "I'm just sorry I won't be able to be there to see it."

And there goes the bomb.

Caroline's smile faded. So did Klaus's.

"What?" Caroline's voice croaked.

"I've been sick for a few months.. At first I thought it was allergies, and then I thought it was the flu.. But I got my tests back from the hospital the other day.. And, well, I apparently have a brain tumor."

Caroline could feel her heart drop out of her chest. She tried to blink back the tears, but she couldn't and her makeup ran like Niagara. Her mind was going through so many different thoughts. Her eyebrows squished together, but she couldn't begin to fathom the thought that her mom was _dying. _

_"What?"_ She cried.

Klaus didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure he should be there. This was something Liz needed to tell her daughter alone. Caroline needed a moment with her mother. He had no place in this. But he couldn't just get up and leave. He looked at the love of his life and saw how sad she instantly became. He wanted to run to her and comfort her. But it wasn't the time.

"How long do you have?" Caroline asked.

"A few months-"

"_A few months?!_" Caroline yelled, drawing the attention of other people in the tiny café. "Isn't there anything we can do? Chemo, or another treatment, or oh-god I'm studying medicine, why can't I think of any solutions to cancer? We could try-"

Liz gently grabbed her daughter's hand and held it in her own. "No, honey. There's nothing we can do. I caught the tumor too late. It already affected my brain.. And well, you know how that goes. We're lucky we're getting the time we have left."

"But mom, this _isn't fair_. Don't you want more time? If there's another way.." Caroline's voice trailed off.

"Even if there was, there's still a chance it would make things worse. Listen, honey, I've had a good life; I was in love a few times, I protected people, I made friends, I had a successful career, I was part of something important.. But the best thing about my life was that I had the most extraordinary daughter. She was beautiful, inside and out. She was kind to all those around her. She was an angel.. My angel. And she saved me. But she can't save me from this."

Tears continued streaming down Caroline's face. "I.. I don't want you to leave me."

"Honey.. You're all grown up. You don't need me, anymore."

"Yes, I do! You're my mom. I'm always going to need my mom!" At this point, Caroline was basically sitting on her mother's lap, crying into her shoulder. Liz gently soothed her daughter by rubbing circles on her back.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, not right now, okay?" Liz lifted Caroline's face and caressed her cheeks. "I'm still here, right now. We have to enjoy the time we have left together-"

"But I wanted you at my wedding," Caroline sniffled. "I wanted you to give me away.. You _and _daddy."

Liz smiled sadly. "I will be there.. In here," she pointed to Caroline's heart.

The young blonder shook her head violently, crying out, "No!"

Liz pulled her daughter in for another hug and kissed her hair. She looked over at Klaus who had been staring sadly at the scene. She felt bad that he had just recently lost his mother, although they had never been close.

"Niklaus.." Liz spoke. "I am going to need you to take care of her, okay?"

Klaus nodded immediately. "I promise."

"It helps me, knowing that she will have you. You're so good to her. I know that she'll always be happy, and most importantly, _loved. _I'm glad she has you."

"Thank you.." Klaus said. "I'm incredibly sorry this is happening to you.. If there's anything you need.."

"You've done enough," Liz finished. "My daughter won't be alone. Even if she didn't have you, I know she'd be strong and she'll be able to be okay, one day. But you make her more happier than I've ever seen her, and I'm glad I've been able to see my daughter so happy. That's all you need to do. Keep her happy."

"I'll try my best," Klaus gave her a sad smile.

* * *

**Am I Satan yet? I am so sorry I sprung the Sheriff's cancer on you guys! I was actually going to wait a few chapters.. But she's not dead yet! Who knows? Maybe a miracle could happen?**

**And you guys wanted Klaroline and you were asking more about their wedding.. so I put some stuff in there for you guys!**

**But what will happen to Klaroline now that you guys know the secret up in London? There is more coming with that storyline. We probably won't see it again until the wedding.. And I actually wasn't going to put that in this chapter yet, but I decided to leave you guys guessing! Why does Rebekah have that picture? Will she be able to keep it a secret for two months? We knew Davina lied, but the Mikaelsons don't! But not only did Davina lie, but Hayley did too! Just what is going on?**

**Anyway.. Please leave a review, and I'm sorry this isn't as long as usual, I just don't have much inspiration anymore. But I will hopefully have motivation to write a longer chapter next time! **

**So.. I think it's safe to say I'll see you guys in two weeks? **


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys, omg I'm sorry it's been forever since I updated. I started writing this chapter and then I just stopped lol. And for some reason I'm not getting my emails regarding reviews and stuff anymore so I'm sorry if I never answered anybody, I'll get that fixed by next chapter! **

**Anyway, I'm kinda too lazy to reread this, so excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes in the last two scenes. **

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.**

* * *

"Damon!" Caroline screamed as she ran through the double doors. Tears streamed down her face as her mind wandered to the worse possible thing. "Where is she?" The blonde growled.

Damon turned around and caught Caroline as she crashed into him. He put his hands on her shoulders and tried to soothe her, but she yanked herself away from him.

"Caroline-"

"_What happened?"_ She snarled.

Enzo came up behind Damon and gently grabbed Caroline's wrist, pulling her away from the deputy before she clawed his eyes out.

"Listen, gorgeous-"

"Don't call me that!" She snapped.

"Your mother will be fine, okay, don't go killing Damon-"

"But what the fuck happened?" Caroline cried.

"Blondie.." Damon sighed. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she turned to glare at him and he quickly lifted his hand away. He knows that him and Caroline were never close, that she even hates him at times, but a part of him does care about her. She may be annoying, but she's still one of the kindest, most upbeat people he has in his life. And he has to at least tolerate her because they both care about the same people; her mom included. When Damon had found out about his friend's illness, his first thought was not _what will the town do without the sheriff? _more like _what will Caroline do without her mom? _The Mystic Falls Gang has not has the best luck with good parenting; the Mikaelsons being abused and neglected, the Salvatores being abandoned and orphaned, the Gilberts loosing both of their parents, Bonnie's parents fighting all of the time, Matt's mom choosing drugs and her one-month stands over him, and so many more heartbreaking backgrounds, but the one good thing for this group was that they all had Liz Forbes, who was also a surrogate mother for the Gilberts and the Donovans, and basically everyone in this town. They all admired, and even envied, the relationship Caroline had with both of her parents. Liz was the favorite parent between the two to the town, and the thought of Caroline losing her was too sad to even think. It was too sad for Damon to comprehend. "She was fine.. We were at this house investigating a break-in when she suddenly collapsed. It was so quick, and so sudden, and there was _so much blood..._" Damon almost choked on his words. If he was this upset over losing Liz Forbes, he could not imagine how Caroline must feel.

"Oh god," Caroline cried. Tears came flowing out of her eyes like Niagra Falls, streaming down her cheeks so that her face was damp. Her chest heaved, and she gasped, trying to catch her breath, but she was crying so hard, she couldn't breathe. Her knees felt wobbly, and within moments her legs collapsed beneath her, sending her crashing to the floor. Enzo was standing near her and tried to catch her, but she slipped through his arms as though she was water. "I need to see her!" The blonde sobbed.

"Caroline, I parked the car-" Klaus was cut off mid sentence as he entered the emergency room and saw his fiancé crying in a puddle of her own tears on the floor. Seeing Enzo trying to comfort her, and Damon off to the side with a sad look in his eyes, Klaus instantly knew that his mother-in-law had taken a turn for the worst. "Love.." He said sadly, walking over to where his love was crying. He gave a look to Enzo saying _thanks for trying, but I got it. _Enzo nodded and stood up, backing away to his previous seat.

Caroline immediately leaned into her fiancé's embrace. She cried into his shoulder and let him lift her up to stand. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck, instantly making a snotty mess of his shirt, although he did not care.

"I need to see her.." She sobbed.

Klaus rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her forehead. "I know you do. I'll go see what I can do-"

"Caroline! We came as fast as we heard-" Elena exclaimed as her, Bonnie, Matt, and Stefan entered the double doors. Caroline looked up at her four best friends and felt like busting out into another hundred acres of tears. How the four all ended up here at the same time, she didn't care. All she cared about was that all four of them were here. Her four best friends.

She remembered when Elena, Bonnie, and her would have sleepovers and kept her mom up all night with their laughing and loud music. When Miranda and Grayson had died, and while Jenna was getting her life together to come back to Mystic Falls, Jeremy and Elena had come to stay with Caroline, and she loved the feel of a full house again. She always knew her mother wanted more kids, but then again Caroline was enough work as it was. Considering her father had left them just the year before, seeing two more people living with them was the beginning of their mended relationship.

One time when they were eleven, Elena and Caroline had locked themselves in the basement to try and find the "ghosts" they had heard overnight. But of course, they didn't realize that once you locked yourselves _inside, _you could not get out. They had heard scary noises, scratching and groaning, and the thunder from outside was not helping. Elena tried to act strong, but Caroline screamed at the top of her lungs. Elena had yelled at her to keep it down so they don't disturb the ghost and get themselves killed. Caroline responded that she did not care, that she wanted her mommy to come and rescue them. Fortunately for them, Liz had heard the crying and screams of a little girl, and feared it was her own little ghost. Creeping down to the basement with a baseball bat, she opened the door and out jumped two eleven year old girls. All three women screamed. Liz scolded the girls for getting themselves locked in, and then she investigated their "ghost" and it turned out to be a bunny rabbit who snuck in through the hole in the wall. The poor thing had been hiding behind trash bags and got crushed by a block, further trapping the baby. Caroline cried for the poor bunny, and begged her mom to let her heal him. This started Caroline's love for healing people; animals, children, everyone. When the bunny was fully recovered and healthy, her mom drove her and Elena to the far woods and let him run free back into the wild.

When they were nine, Bonnie's parents had gotten a divorce. Things started getting bad at home for the emerald eyed girl. Her dad buried himself in his work, and her mom drowned her sorrows in drinks. She was tossed from one house to another for months. When the blonde's parents told her they were taking a trip to Paris for the summer, Caroline had begged them to take along Bonnie. She felt bad for her best friend and thought she deserved some normal time with a _normal _family. Her parents couldn't say no, and frankly, Bonnie's parents weren't too upset about not having to care for a child for two months. Bonnie finally saw what it was like to be part of a real family, and despite the awkwardness that always surrounded Caroline's parents, they were still friends and they shared the fact that they loved their daughter more than anything. This trip was one of the first instances where Bonnie became an official member of Caroline's family.

When they were fourteen, Matt and Caroline were running through the woods, trying to find Tyler and Bonnie. Elena had been sick, but the four friends had still decided to play in the woods. Tyler and Bonnie became a lost cause, and Caroline hit the other blonde's shoulder and yelled _you're it! _The two blondes weren't always the closest friends, but this day marked the turning point in their friendship. Matt had never noticed the sparkle in Caroline's blue eyes when she talked, or the chiming in her voice when she laughed. She was so enthusiastic about everything, including the _clues to a treasure hunt _they found in the meadow. She was so energetic that she dared him to climb a tree, and when he chickened out, she did it instead. The tree did not look all that safe, and Matt kept yelling at the older blonde to climb back down. She didn't listen. And when she lost her footing and snapped a tree branch, she came tumbling down. Matt tried to catch her, but he was a scrawny fourteen year old at the time, and she was crashing down at the speed of lightening, so she ended up knocking him down too. At least he cushioned her fall. They were both in the hospital for a few days with a sprained ankle and a note to get out of cheerleading and football, and oh boy was Liz Forbes not happy with her daughter. Since Matt's mom was out of town, and Vicki couldn't possibly keep an eye on her injury-leave younger brother _and _keep up with school, Matt moved in with the Forbes for a few weeks. Within a short amount of time, Matt began to see Liz as a mom, and Liz fell in love with the little boy with charming, blue eyes. Matt and Caroline continue to laugh about the tree incident to this day, but now there was nothing to laugh about.

Caroline had only met Stefan in her Junior year of high school, but the two became fast friends after he saved her from being hit by a car. She had been walking absentmindedly and never even noticed that she had stepped off the sidewalk. Stefan was across the street and noticed a little car that had a careless driver in it, and his girlfriend's perky best friend not paying attention to traffic. He ran across the street and tackled the blonde to the ground. She screamed at him, he screamed at her, but then they laughed and she thanked him for saving her life. Stefan was the town's _poster child _and Liz immediately adored him. She always thought her daughter would end up with someone like Stefan Salvatore, but the teenage girl just laughed and said _Me and Stefan? That is never going to happen, I can't believe you would even think that! _True, she liked him when she first met him, but he had politely turned her down because he had his eyes on Elena. And a good thing, because now when she thinks about if things in her life went differently, she always laughs at the idea of her and Stefan because it's so ridiculous. He was like her brother, and she loved him dearly, but to think of him in _that way _was almost appalling. And thankfully, her mother soon returned to her senses, and welcomed Stefan into the little family of friends her daughter had been building.

Seeing her four best friends standing before her, her four best friends that her mother basically called her second children, made Caroline want to cry even more. But she knew how much all four of them loved her mom, and she could at least share in that grief with them. She let go of Klaus's hand, after he kissed her forehead and whispered he was going to go talk with the nurse, and turned to her friends. Bonnie was the first to hug her, wrapping her arms around her best friend so tightly as if holding on for dear life. Elena joined the hug, and Caroline felt the warmth of her two girls, a hug that the three had perfected since they were seven, but today just didn't feel like anything was perfect.

After the two girls left the blonde's embrace, Matt had crushed her into a bear hug. His eyes were filled with tears, and Caroline had forgotten how sad and loud his sobbing was. He was tall and muscular on the outside, but on the inside he was giant baby whom whenever he is sad, you just want to wrap in a blanket and hug him for eternity.

Stefan was the last one to hug her. He wasn't a mess of tears like the previous three had been. His face was comforting, because he knew that Caroline needed him more than he needed to feel sympathetic. He could cry about this later, but not now. Not when someone he cared about needed him most.

"Caroline?" A voice came from the door. The blonde froze in Stefan's embrace. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in months, not after she told him she never wanted to be friends.

How she wished she could take it back. He was an ass sometimes, but he was still a good person. He wasn't always a jerk; in the beginning of their relationship, he was incredibly sweet. The breakup was hard on her, and she thought his return to town would screw up everything she had built for herself since he left her. But she realized she had been wrong. She had moved on. That was why she barely batted an eyelash when she heard of his new relationship. She cared about him, but she just didn't care what he did or who he was with.

But she did realize she missed him. She missed his warm hugs and his comforting whispers and his motivational speeches. She missed the friendship they had before they dated. She missed the Tyler Lockwood who threw graham crackers at her in preschool but then preceded to knock a bully out of Caroline's swing set. She missed her friend.

"Tyler?" She whimpered, leaning her head on Stefan's shoulder to look at the new arrival.

"I.." He gulped, as if not knowing his place anymore. Sure, him and Caroline couldn't avoid each other forever. They've actually been at the same social gathering a time or two, but they never acknowledged each other. At least she didn't. He wanted to talk, but figured it was best he left her alone. "I know you probably don't want to see me.. But I thought.. Listen, I'm very sor-" he couldn't finish his sentence because a flash of blonde hair flew into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her close. It was a familiar feeling, but it was also something new.

"No, I'm sorry," she cried. "I miss being your friend," she sniffed. "I'm so happy you came. You were always good in a crisis, and I never was.."

He chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder. "I get it, Care. And I missed you, too." She leaned out of the hug and gave him a sad smile. It couldn't have seemed this simple to repair a broken relationship. But in desperate times, sometimes you need to forget all of the hard work and skip to the good parts.

"I hate to interrupt this.." Klaus's voice spoke. He wanted to sound jealous, but he couldn't under these circumstances. Instead, he just sounded sad. "The nurse said your mother is up for visitors."

"She's awake?" Caroline's heart fluttered. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but she hoped she had more time with her mom.

"Yeah. They won't distribute anything to me, only you. So, you better get in there, love."

Caroline saw the encouraging look on her friends' faces, and her feet somehow moved towards the hospital room without her brain telling them to. She didn't seem to have control over her body, but she managed to make it to her mom's room.

Her mom lie on the checkered hospital bed in the ugly gowns. Her hair was matted to her sweaty forehead, and her veins were scary visible. She looked out of breath, her heart rising and falling in an unsteady pace. But Caroline still thought she looked beautiful. She was beautiful and _alive. _That's what made her beautiful.

"Mom?" Caroline gently knocked on the door.

Liz's eyes snapped open and she drowsily turned her head to the door. "Caroline?" she croaked.

Caroline burst into more tears and ran to her mother's side, engulfing her in a hug. "I thought I lost you," she sobbed.

"Oh, you're not getting rid of me that easily," Liz attempted at a joke.

"I love you, Mom. Please, don't leave me."

"I love you, too. But, I won't have a choice, you that right? I'm not dead today, but it's going to happen soon."

"No, don't say that-"

Liz reached her thumbs up to wipe the tears from her daughter's beautiful, blue eyes. "It's the truth, honey. Don't deny it."

Caroline was too relieved that her mother was alive to argue back, so she just nodded. "I'm glad you're okay." She collapsed against her mother's chest.

"I am, too," Liz sighed.

"Hello, Mrs. Forbes," the doctor greeted as he made his way in to the room. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"A miracle, huh?" Liz asked.

"No, not really. You fainted because of dehydration and low blood pressure, nothing to do with your cancer. But, the thing is.. Your cancer _has _in fact taken a turn for the worse."

"What?" Caroline gasped. Liz took a deep breath.

"I know you have a duty to this town, and you've done a great job defending this town for thirty-five years, but I think it's time you take it easy. We think it's best we put you on bed rest. No more heavy stuff on your feet. Just sit at home, spend time with your daughter, eat lunch with your friends, read books you never finished, you know, do some relaxing things you never had time to do. We've checked your insurance, and you have enough money to be able to retire 10 years early. You don't have much time anyway, but if you listen to our orders and do light things, you might prolong your life. It is best recommended that you finish up whatever case you have open, or trust it with your deputy, and then spend time at home."

"I.." Liz was speechless.

"I think that's a great idea!" Caroline eagerly nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"But Caroline.." Liz sighed. "I can't just _quit _my job.."

"You won't be quitting, m'am. You'll be retiring. Trust me, it is in the best interest for your health to be put on bed rest. Or, well, home rest.. Not _arrest _but you get what I mean."

"Damon can take care of everything," Caroline told her. "They said you can help finish solving a few open cases, but no more on your feet. _Please, _think about retiring, Mom. I know it's hard to walk away, but it's better than being ripped away from me and everyone."

Liz thought for a moment before nodding. It was hard to give up the last thirty-five years of her life, but if it would give her more time with her daughter, she would give it up in a heartbeat. She looked at her daughter's pleading face and gave in. She nodded, and Caroline's facial expression relaxed in relief and she hugged her mom once again.

"God damn it, you scared the hell out of me," Caroline whispered after the doctor left, still holding onto her mom for dear life.

Liz chuckled. "Now you know how I feel everytime I get a call saying my daughter was emitted into the emergency room."

"It's not that often!" Caroline defended herself. "Accidents happen, okay?"

Liz smoothed her daughter's hair out of her face. "Yes, they do. But I wouldn't have my accident-prone daughter any other way."

"Three times! Three times," Caroline managed to smile. She was able to make jokes with her mom again. She was allowed to smile. "I've gone to the emergency room three times."

"Three times too many," her mother teased.

"Oh shush," Caroline gently nudged her mom's shoulder with her elbow.

"I love you, my daughter," Liz leaned up to kiss her daughter's forehead.

Caroline smiled. "I love you, too."

...

"I can't believe that happened to Caroline's mom.." Rebekah sighed as Matt told her what happened at the hospital. "I wish I could have been there."

"At least it was a false alarm, though. The Sheriff is still here for a while," Matt said.

"Yeah, she's not the Sheriff anymore," Kol added.

"Don't be insensitive, Kol," Bonnie kicked his shin. "She'll always be the Sheriff."

"I was just saying it's her last day tomorrow, geez!" Kol held his hands up in defense.

Kol and Rebekah weren't able to get to the hospital, but Matt and Bonnie picked up Rebekah from work and then drove to Kol and Bonnie's place to catch them up. When Caroline had came out of the hospital room, Jeremy, Katherine, Elijah, and Lexi had showed up. She told everyone that her mother was fine and would be discharged in a couple of hours; the doctors wanted to make sure her blood sugar level was normal. She then nodded to Damon that her mother wanted to speak with him. He disappeared down the corridor, and she knew that her mom was explaining to him all of the work they had to get done tomorrow, and then proceeding to tell him how to take over when she fully leaves.

"I feel so bad for Caroline.." Rebekah said. She leaned her cheek on her fist. "This sucks."

"To be frank.." Kol started. Despite seeing his girlfriend's and sister's glare, he still continued to speak. "I find it ironic how me, Beks, and our siblings are more heartbroken over Caroline's mom dying than we were about our own mother's death- which, by the way, was only two and a half months ago."

"You guys really weren't even the tiniest bit sad?" Matt asked.

"Not really.." Rebekah shrugged. "I mean.. Yeah, she's never going to get to make it up to us, but I doubt there was anything she could have done anyway."

"It was better this way. Trust me, there were much more things she could have ruined. She died only slightly less hated than she should have. At least, most of my anger had died down," Kol said.

"You're an ass," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I get your mother was a deadbeat, but you don't have to make fun of her death."

"Oh please, mother dearest was a wacko bitch," Rebekah defended her brother. "I hate to say it, but it's true. Even ask high-on-pedestal Finn and Elijah."

"Whatever," Bonnie raised her hands. "I never knew her, so I can't really have an opinion."

"Thank you," Rebekah nodded smugly.

Kol sighed and leaned his head on Bonnie's shoulder. "Yeah, thanks. I think."

Bonnie chuckled and patted her boyfriend's head. "You're tired, aren't you?"

"I'm seeing stars.."

She hit his shoulder. "Knock it off!"

He lifted his head and laughed. "I'm not that tired." He turned to Matt. "Anyway, continue."

"Continue what?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you saying something?"

"Not really..."

"Oh, okay then."

"Hey Bonnie!" Rebekah waved to get the other girl's attention. She smirked at her brother before asking his girlfriend, "Are you excited to meet Kol's old friends at the wedding?"

Bonnie scrunched her eyebrows together. "Your old friends are coming?" She glanced at Kol.

"I swear I didn't know!"

"Yes, he did," Rebekah blabbed. "Although, I only told him.. Let's see.. Three weeks ago."

"Oh," Bonnie said.

"Oh?" Kol repeated, nervous she was gonna yell at him.

"Yeah, oh. What's wrong with oh?" She asked.

"Wait, you're not mad?" Rebekah asked.

"Why should I be? I don't know any of your guys' old friends. Why should their visiting be relevant until the wedding?"

"Good point.." Kol said, relieved she wasn't mad at him.

"I am so lost," Matt spoke up. Rebekah patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Let's just say Operation: Get Kol in Trouble with Bonnie failed. Let's go see if I can get Finn or Elijah in trouble with Sage and Katherine- they're much more jealous and territorial than Bon is."

...

"Down to the nitty gritty!" Sage exclaimed when she popped up beside Katherine. The brunette almost jumped out of her socks.

"God, Sage! You scared me!" The Petrova screamed.

The red-head laughed and held out a bag for her sister-in-law. "I know I've been showing up non-stop with gifts, but I promise this is the last one."

Katherine gave the other girl a weary look. "Why do you keep giving me gifts..?"

"You're the only one in this family I can stand," Sage joked. "No, but seriously: I've had a baby before so I'm just helping you figure out what to expect."

Katherine smiled. In the past few months, her and Sage have actually become really good friends. She enjoys the fact that this woman is her sister-in-law because she's fierce, stubborn, determined, and sexy, just like Katherine. And they both married the more subtle Mikaelson brothers, which evens out the level of crazy in the family, as the three wild siblings found love in more reserved people. "Thanks."

"So, how many more weeks exactly?" Sage lifted herself up on the kitchen counter. Katherine pouted slightly, because she wasn't able to do that any longer.

She shook out of her trance and rested her hand on her swollen belly. "10 days, actually!"

Sage smiled. "That's so exciting. I'm so happy for you and Elijah."

Katherine nodded, a smile curling her lips. "Thanks.. I'm really nervous, though," she admitted.

"Why?" Sage frowned.

The brunette sighed. "Isn't everyone before their first child comes? I mean, I've gotten used to the fact someone else will depend on me. All of my other fears make sense, and I've come to terms with them. But, what if I'm just a bad mom? What if I make a mistake and it-"

Sage put a comforting hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Everyone makes mistakes. Never beat yourself up about them. And as for being a bad mother: trust me, every woman in your shoes has that fear. _I _had that fear. Parenthood is a scary thing, but it is also the most magnificent thing. It's a magical, beautiful, terrific thing. It can also be terrifying, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful." She took a deep breath. "I loved Finn more than anything in the universe. It was scary to think I could love someone so much. I would wait forever and a day for him. Hell, I'd stay outside a box for a millennium. He has this hold on me that I.. don't think I can ever shake. And when I found out we were going to have a baby.. I instantly knew he'd be ecstatic. He's just that kind of person. But he was kind of terrified about the idea, as I was. Despite us being married, I still wasn't sure we were ready for a child. I never thought I was ready to be a mom. But he wanted to give it a shot, despite both of our fears. He became more excited as time went on, while I just got more terrified. I don't think it ever really set in that I could do this _until I did it. _Tate was born and I held him in my arms for the first time, and when you see the look on your babies' faces, it is going to be the most precious thing you've ever felt. If you think you love Elijah, that he is the love of your life, that you could never love anything more than him, you're wrong. Your children will be the best thing to ever happen to you. I held my son for the first time in the hospital room, and it felt like a part of me was born with him. All of your fears will melt away when you see that face. To know that you helped create something so small, so precious, and innocent, it's unreal. Don't worry about messing up, your instincts will kick in right away, and as long as you never leave them, you will be a great mom."

Katherine quickly wiped her eyes. She blamed her hormones. "I've known you for what? Six years now, and I've never heard you be such a sap."

The red head rolled her eyes. "I can be sentimental when I want to be."

"Yes, you can," the other girl chuckled. "Anyway.." she leaned her chin on her palm, "Have you heard that Caroline and Tyler are now friends again?"

"Is that the best gossip this town can come up with?"

"That's the best I heard."

"Oh, well. I wonder how Klaus feels about that.."

"Oh, I bet you he's super jealous. He _hates _Tyler."

"But doesn't Tyler have a girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"So what does Klaus have to worry about?"

"His ego."

"True. Speaking of.. Has Rebekah said anything to you about the guest list? For the wedding?"

Katherine nodded. "If you're asking if my ego is wounded, the answer is no. I don't care if a bunch of pretty girls who used to date our guys are coming for a visit. I am Katherine Pierce, and I'm fucking awesome. I will tear those bitches to shreds if I have to."

Sage laughed harder than she should have. "At least my husband doesn't have any actual ex-girlfriends I have to worry about."

Katherine shrugged. "Apparently he had a huge crush on Camille when they were younger."

Sage glared at Katherine. "Whatever."

The pregnant woman grinned. "See? You're jealous!"

"No, I'm not! That's exactly what Rebekah wants."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself. Anyway, are you hungry? I'm hungry. I'm in the mood for Chinese food. Wanna stay for takeout?"

...

"And that was the last case," Damon said as he tossed the final folder into the bin. "I find it funny that once we actually dedicate our time to something, we can get five years worth of cases done in eight hours."

Liz smiled from behind her desk. "Yes, it's a miracle."

Damon grinned from his seat on top of her desk. "We did good, Sheriff. _You _did good." His smile faded. "I'm gonna be sad to see you go."

"From this office or from this life?" The blonde raised her eyebrow.

His eyes cast down to the floor and his voice wavered. "Both." He glanced up to meet her eyes. "You've been a good friend to me these past few years. Gave me a second chance when I didn't think anyone else would."

"Elena would have. She did, actually. She'll always give you a second chance. Just don't keep doing things to make her give you ten more second chances," she teased.

"Yeah, I got lucky, didn't I?" He smiled like a school boy. He then shook his head, "Lost track of conversation. Anyway, as I was saying; You've been a good friend. You've been an incredible sheriff to this town. A true hero."

"I wouldn't call myself a hero, Damon."

"I would. Everyone would. Your daughter would."

Liz smiled at the mention of Caroline. "You'll take care of her, won't you?"

"She doesn't need someone to take care of her. And even if she did, never ask _me _of all people to do it."

Liz laughed. "I know. I was joking. I already asked Nikalus to do it. But, you _will _take care of this town?"

Damon nodded eagerly. "It's a big honor you're leaving me with, and I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. And there's actually one more thing you can do for me.."

Damon raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"It's more important than being the new Sheriff of Mystic Falls." Liz stood up.

"Anything," Damon followed her.

She looked him straight in his deep blue eyes. "Take care of Elena. Be with her and your son and be happy. Keep your good relationship with your brother. Spend time with your friends and your family, and be happy. That's all I ask."

Damon nodded sadly. "I will always do that. You don't even need to ask."

Liz smiled and leaned up to hug him. He lightly kissed the top of her head.

They broke apart from their embrace. Liz looked around the room and sighed.

"I guess this is it," she said.

"Would you like a minute alone?" Damon asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'm good. I uh.." She ran her fingers along the desk. She checked all of the files and the boxes. She looked out the window and saw the beautiful skyline and clean, cut, green grass. "I needed a moment, but I think I'm ready."

"You sure?"

She nodded. She glanced down at her _Sheriff _badge. She lifted her hands and unclipped the badge from her uniform. She set the badge in her prodigy's hand gently. "It's all yours now. Take care of it."

She didn't feel sad leaving this station. She felt a weight being lifted off of her shoulders. She knew that Damon had his flaws, but he would never let those he cared about down. He's extremely loyal to those who deserve it, and that's why he's the best person for the job. She trusts him. He can be a great man, or a terrifying enemy, and when people get out of line, he knows how to handle it. He surprised her positively again and again over the past few years, and she has complete faith in him. She's not scared to give up her title. She's sad to leave the people she's grown with, the people who make her job easier, more fun to wake up to everyday. But she's not sad to leave the violence or the crime or the stress. She can't exactly say she'll miss it. But she'll miss the memories and the friendships she made.

"I will. I promise."

* * *

**Eh, I was gonna put in another scene, but I'm too lazy. I started this chapter like three weeks ago but I forgot all about this, I'm so sorry. Anyway.. I was going to kill Liz off this chapter, but I didn't! Were you guys scared she was dead earlier? Did I scare ya? **

**Okay, so next chapter will be more exciting, I promise! Or, at least, it'll end exciting and then the story will start picking up, I hope! **

**Now, if anyone is worried about TO characters coming, don't worry, I'm not the one to do cliché love triangles between exes and new loves. Those are kinda stupid, and will not be in this story. But friendships will evolve, and not just between the Mikaelsons and their old friends, but how about the Mystic Falls gang and the TO gang? Who would you guys like to see begin a friendship?**

**Their arrival should be in three or four chapters.**

**By the way: DOES ANYONE EVER JUST GET EXTREME CHEST PAINS AND MAJOR FEELS ABOUT KOL BLOODY MIKAELSON? BECAUSE I DO AND IT'S BECOMING A PROBLEM. I CAN JUST BE GOING ALONG MY DAY AND THEN REMEMBER HOW HE'S STILL DEAD OR SPENT A THOUSAND YEARS YEARNING FOR HIS SIBLINGS' LOVE OR THE FACT THAT WE COULD HAVE HAD KENNETT OR I JUST REMEMBER HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE AND MY HEART CAN'T CONTAIN THE FEELS. IS IT JUST ME? (THAT'S A TRICK QUESTION BECAUSE MY BEST FRIEND SASHA UNDERSTANDS MY FEELS) I'm sorry for the all caps, I don't mean to scare you. I just realized the incredible lack of Kol in this chapter and am extremely disappointed in myself. I will make up for it, I promise.**

**Anyway.. Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Until next time :) xx**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys! So guess who just finished her final exam today? And tomorrow is my last day of school, and its only seeing my classes for next year for like 20 minutes, so I'm almost officially on summer vacation! I meant to have this up last night, but my nieces came over so I didn't get the whole day to spend on this like I wanted and I stayed up until like 11:30 finishing this and I was so tired I didn't feel like proofreading. But today is a half day, so why not do this now? I have nothing else to do haha.**

**So thanks for all your lovely reviews last chapter, and let's get started shall we :)**

**Disclaimer: Is Kol still dead? Is Bonnie still being treated horribly? Is Klaroline still in different cities? Is Steroline really a thing? Is Katherine still in hell? Well, then that's how you know I don't own The Vampire Diaries or The Originals.**

* * *

"Caroline!" Liz sighed exasperated. "I'm fine," she assured her daughter.

Caroline ignored her mother's pleas and continued fluffing the pillows. "I just want to make sure you're okay.."

Liz patted her daughter's hands. "I will be fine. I want you to go out with your friends. Don't worry about me."

Caroline sat on the bed and sighed. "Mom, I'm never going to not worry about you. I don't even want to go out! I want to stay with you and watch reruns of Charmed. Come on, we used to love that show. We'd have so much-"

"Caroline.." Liz warned. "I love you, you know that. But these past few days have been almost suffocating. You will actually be doing me a favor by getting out of the house for a few hours."

The young blonde's smile fell. "Have I really been so.. Smothering?"

"Honey, you don't even sleep at your own house anymore." Liz nodded at the pile of blankets and pillows stacked on the chair in the corner of the room. "I'm sure your fiancé misses you."

Caroline smiled as she thought of Klaus. "I miss him.."

"Then go spend time with him!"

Caroline gave her mom a look. "Are you sure? I can always ask him to come here.."

"I love you, honey, but I'll be fine. I'm not completely sick or helpless. I think I'm allowed to go get my own bottle of water, and I'm perfectly capable of making myself a sandwich or some tea."

"But I don't want you to be lonely.."

"I don't want that man of yours to be lonely either." Liz chuckled. "Honey, I'll be fine. I promise."

The younger woman nodded. "Okay. But I'll be back tomorrow, so don't go anywhere!"

Liz laughed. "Where am I going to go?"

Her daughter nodded. "True. But you should finish that book I gave you while I'm gone, so we can talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

"I'm already half way done."

"Yay! You're going to love it, I swear!" She grinned.

Liz smiled. "And I can't wait to love it. Now, get going before he forgets you exist."

Caroline laughed before leaning forward to kiss her mom goodbye. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

...

Kol's eyes slowly opened as he gained consciousness from the blinding sunlight and the deafening sounds of the blinds. He squinted against the light and saw his beautiful girlfriend dancing around the bedroom in her black and pink polka dot pajama shorts. She had her earbuds in, and she seemed to be doing her usual morning clean up; which included picking up the dirty laundry Kol carelessly threw on the floor last night, throwing away empty bottles and wrappers, putting up the window blinds, etc. Yes, Kol is incredibly messy. He _would _pick up if he _had _to, but Bonnie always beats him to it.

He smiled as he watched her hips dance mindlessly. Her dark brown hair, which has gotten a bit longer since she cut it last year, fell upon her shoulders. The light pouring through the window made a halo over her head. Despite it being seven o'clock in the morning, he thought she looked beautiful, like she did every second of every day, whether it be seven in the morning, two in the morning, five in the afternoon, or eleven at night.

Bonnie turned around and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw her idiot boyfriend smiling at her.

"Kol!" She screamed. He chuckled at her being startled.

"Don't mind me, darling, keep dancing."

She glared at him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Only a few minutes. But don't let me stop you from starting a strip dance," he winked.

She rolled her eyes. "Ew." She then jumped over him and landed on her side of the bed, pulling her earbuds out of her ears, and setting them and her phone on her night table. She then turned to face her boyfriend. "What do you want to do today?" She asked. She smiled as she started playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, and Kol never wanted that smile to fade. But he knew that it would if he kept secrets from her.

No, he didn't want to talk about his past. Not anymore than she did.

But he didn't want her to be surprised when everyone from his old life came. She would be mad if he never told her, or at least warned her.

"I need to talk to you," he admitted.

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay.." She was nervous about what he had to say, but she motioned for him to continue.

"So you know how Rebekah invited all of our old friends for the wedding?" She nodded. "There's one in particular that you should know about." She stared at him, silently urging him to go on. Kol took a deep breath. "Davina Claire." Saying her name, her full name, for the first time in a while brought back memories. Some bad, but mostly good. "She was my first love. The only girl I loved, until I met you."

He gave her a moment to take it in. Bonnie was surprised, because Kol had always said that he never knew what love was until he met her. She knew there had to be some explanation as to why he lied. Did this girl break his heart, and it was too painful to talk about his first love? Did it end badly? These seem plausible, because he's acting worried about seeing her again after almost a decade.

"I know I said I never loved anyone until I met you.. I'm sorry I lied. To be frank, I never even told my siblings that I was in love with Davina, although I know they suspected it because she was my longest girlfriend. It's not a secret I was a womanizer in my youth; I dated a few girls for a few weeks, then moved on to the next. But Davina was one of my best friends, and one day I realized her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue I'd ever seen. I always knew how kind and smart and dedicated she was, but I never fully appreciated it. I noticed her smile.." He tortured himself. He shouldn't be reminiscing about falling in love with another woman. "Anyway.. My best friend Kaleb told me that Davina has had a small crush on me for years, and that he believed she deserved better than a cheating scum like me. But when I told him that I was actually falling in love with her.. He was shocked. He never encourage me to go for it, but he never discouraged me either. I asked her out, and we dated for.. Almost three months. It was the happiest three months of my old life. And then when we were told we had to move.. Davina had told me she was pregnant." He paused, waiting for Bonnie's reaction. Her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. She waited for him to finish the story. "I told my parents that I wanted to stay and help Davina with the baby. Fatherhood scares the hell out of me, back then and even now, but I still would have stayed. And then she breaks up with over text message. My mother forces me to get on that plane, to forget about Davina. She doesn't even show up to say goodbye. It wasn't until later did I find out that my mom paid Davina to get rid of it. To break up with me, everything. She refused all of mine and my siblings' friends contact with us after we moved. Everything was her fault. I don't even know if Davina did what my mom wanted or.." He couldn't even finish the sentence. Bonnie knew what he meant to say. "Now, I'm honestly scared to see her again. What if she hates me? Or what if I hate her? I don't even know if I hate her or not. I thought I did, but it was my mother's fault. I know I blame everything on her, but that's because she is to blame for most things." He sighed in relief, now that the story was over. "And you may react now.."

He finally looked up at her face, which to his surprise, was not angry or sad or any emotion he had feared. It was sympathetic, understanding.

"I'm sorry that your mother did that. She had no right to interfere with your relationship or your child. Is that why you never wanted me to meet her?"

He nodded. "After what happened with Davina.. I couldn't stand the thought of her sending you away, too."

She smiled and held his hand. "I'm not going anywhere." He smiled in gratitude. "Anyway.. Were you seriously afraid of my reaction to Davina?"

He felt like this was a trick question but he answered, "Yes.."

She laughed and hit his shoulder. "You're an idiot. Why would I be angry or upset or anything about your ex-girlfriend coming for a visit? I'm not the jealous type. And plus.. You do realize that you're basically best friends with _my _ex? And even if you did have a child with her, again, _you're _best friends with _my_ first love and the father of _my _child."

"Right. I knew that."

"It's extremely awkward for me, honestly. But I don't _care_, because we can all be friends with who we want. When Davina comes, if you want to be friends with her.. I'm not gonna stop you."

"Who said I wanted to be friends with her?"

"Well, if you want to at least _talk _to her, don't worry about what I think."

"Are you sure?"

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure. You had a life before me, I get that. I'm not mad." He looked in her beautiful green eyes and knew she meant it.

He grinned and grabbed her face, pulling her closer to him. Their lips collided in a quick yet passionate kiss. "I love you! You're the most coolest girlfriend ever."

She giggled. "I know." Her face then turned serious. "Since you told me something about your past.. I guess it's finally time I tell you about Kai."

He was caught off guard by her words.

"What?"

"I mean, I guess there's really no point in telling you, now that Kai is in therapy and has made amends with his family.. But I feel bad that you never knew exactly what he did. I guess I was just scared that you would be so angry at him and try to hurt him or something, and I didn't want you to put yourself in danger. I thought you would make things worse.. I thought I was protecting you."

Kol gently played with the darker skinned girl's fingers. "If it brings up bad memories, you don't have to tell me." Kol shocked himself with his own words. After all this time wishing he knew the deal with Kai Parker he was finally being told, and he didn't want to know if it would hurt Bonnie.

She shook her head. "No, I want to tell you. It can't hurt.. He's better now." She seemed to be telling that to herself rather than him. She took a deep breath. "So me and Damon were trapped in an elevator with him, and he was extremely annoying, but I didn't find him that bad. A few days after we got out, he came up to me and asked if I would tutor him. I was reluctant, but then agreed because he seemed desperate. We had a few sessions, and everything was fine. He flirted with me a lot, even though he knew I had a boyfriend. He meant no harm, like he was joking, or at least I thought. One of the times when I was tutoring him, he gave me a drink, and I don't know what was in it; I thought it was water or something.. But suddenly I started feeling drowsy. I remember him trying to kiss me but I pushed him away. I knew something was wrong, I couldn't stay awake. So, I grabbed my phone and texted an _SOS_ message to Elena, who was in our dorm down the hall. The next thing I remember I wake up in the infirmary. Elena tells me that Kai had drugged me, but she had thankfully arrived before he could do anything, that I had just fallen asleep when she barged through the door. She screamed at him, and found his bag of drugs or whatever and flushed them down the toilet. She brought attention to the dean, and got Kai expelled. Things were quiet for a while, until one day Elena went silent. She was supposed to meat Damon for a Christmas dinner and she never showed. Jeremy, Caroline, Katherine, and I all tried to get in touch with her, but she had fallen off the face of the earth. We were worried for about a week before Kai sent a message that he had her. He was angry at her for getting him expelled.. It gave his dad a new reason to be disappointed in him. We figured out he had taken her to Portland. So me, Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, Alaric, and Sheriff Forbes drove up there to rescue Elena. Damon and Stefan went into the warehouse, and they didn't come out for a few minutes.. Alaric and Jeremy were guarding the entrances with the Sheriff, while Caroline stayed with me in the car. Caroline and I were extremely worried and we couldn't handle doing nothing, so we snuck out. We tried to sneak into the house but Jeremy saw us and he screamed at us. He startled Caroline and she stopped, but I then took off into the building, with everyone screaming at me. I saw Stefan knocked out in a corner, but the rest of the house was quiet. I reached the top of the stairs and saw nothing. Then I heard Damon scream _Bonnie, get out! _I turned around and Damon was running up the stairs, carrying a drowsy Elena on his back, with Kai on his tail. Kai threw something that made Damon trip when he reached the top, and the three of us all fell and skidded to the middle of the floor. Elena was slowly regaining consciousness, but she was too weak to do anything. Stefan was slowly waking up, too. Kai found his gun and aimed at Damon. I stood up and said that he was really angry at me. And I know that was stupid of me, I know, I was acting like a martyr. Kai said something about him really being angry at Elena, but that really that his main target was me but he was willing to settle for Elena when she ruined his life. His words were all jumbled and crazy, but then he grabbed me and put the gun to my head. He told Damon not to move or else he would shoot. But then all of the sudden, I heard a big _clump _and Kai went slack against me and fell to the ground. I turned around and there was Caroline standing there with her heels in her hands. Her hair was a mess, like she climbed through some sewer window, and her arms were positioned like she had just hit Kai in the head with her shoe. I laughed and hugged her. Then we got Elena in the car, Liz arrested Kai, and we brought Elena and Stefan to the hospital. So.. Yeah, that's the story, basically."

Kol kept wanting to interrupt the story, but he feared if he made any sudden movements, she would stop and he'd never hear what happened. She finally finished and he wanted to go over to Kai's house and beat the shit out of him. Bonnie was right about that. He couldn't believe someone would be so twisted to take things out on people for no reason. He heard about Kai's horrible family life, but that's still no excuse. Hell, have you met Kol's family? His parents, at least? And yet you don't see him or his siblings going around attempting rape, kidnapping or holding people at gunpoint. He shook his head, as if trying to shake off a bad dream. That _must_ have been a bad dream. He didn't want to believe that his angel of a girlfriend could have lived through that.

But she did. And that made her the strongest and bravest woman he knew.

And not to mention, his bubbly, blonde sister-in-law is incredibly badass. Knocking out a psycho killer in the head with her shoe?

"I.." Kol was speechless. He was torn between saying _"I hate him," _or _"I am sorry that happened to you."_ Both were incredibly stupid and weak. He finally said, "You're right. If you would have told me earlier, I would have beaten the shit out of the guy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"How can you be so casual about this?" He asked.

She shrugged. "It was hard reliving the story.. But now it's like I can finally breathe. You're one of the best people in my life, and now that you know about the worst thing to happen to me, it's like a weight had been lifted. I can talk about this and not feel.. Dirty, I guess."

He nodded. He twirled a piece of her hair around his fingers. "I really want to go see him and set him straight.." He was so angry, it was hard just sitting there with her, acting like she just didn't tell him about a time she was almost raped or a time she almost got killed, or lost Emma in either of these situations. She was _pregnant _with Emma around this time, for godsake. Why did they even let her go to Portland?

Probably because she wouldn't take no for an answer. He knows Jeremy wouldn't have let her go, but considering how stubborn Bonnie is when it comes to Elena's safety, it was surprising she managed to stay in the car. Then again, she did run into the building. Which was a very stupid decision, in his opinion.

"Please don't," she pleaded.

He sat up abruptly and pushed his fingers through his hair. He wanted to vent about his anger about this, but he knew he'd probably scare her, and himself. He grabbed a fistful of sheets and squeezed his eyes shut. After counting to ten, he let out a deep breath he hadn't known he was holding. He felt somewhat better.

He turned back to Bonnie, who was watching him with worry in her eyes. "Are you sure he's _good _now?"

She shrugged. "It's been three months. Liv says he's made great progress. He seems happy. He's not angry or bitter or insecure anymore.. Things were messing with his mind. Everyone gets that he could snap at any moment. But for the time being, they're walking on eggshells around him. He seems normal, so we just need to not aggravate him," she explained.

"Have you seen him?"

"Hell no."

"Do you trust him?"

"I'm never going to speak or see him again so it doesn't really matter either way, but no. I trust Liv and Luke. They said he's changed, so I believe them. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be friends, or even acquaintances with him."

"That's good." He leaned back against the pillows. "All seriousness aside now.." She looked at him curiously now. "Caroline sounds like a badass! She totally saved the day!"

Bonnie laughed, and her smile brightened the room. "Yes, she did."

"And I'm sure if Elena wasn't unconscious, she'd kick some psycho ass, too," he joked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Speaking of! You and me are going on a double date with Elena and Damon tonight."

Kol groaned. "But I hate socializing.."

Bonnie lightly punched his shoulders. "You're going. It'll be fun, I promise."

Before he could answer, a light knock on the door disrupted their conversation. Then the knob turned and the door opened. In came small feet tip-toeing into the room.

Emma.

It was their week with her, and Kol had completely forgotten that she loves to wake them up at seven thirty.

Seeing her mother and stepdad awake, the young girl's eyes lit up and she picked up her pace, jumping on to the bed. She attacked both Bonnie and Kol. "Morning!" she squealed.

Bonnie giggled as Kol lifted the child in the air and tickled her stomach, making her laugh just like her mother. Their laughter was identical, and Kol fell in love every time he heard it.

...

"Morning, sister," Elijah greeted the youngest Mikaelson. He was grabbing his morning coffee, while she was buttering her bagel.

She grinned and nodded, "Morning, Elijah." Freya took a bite of her bagel and sat up on the counter. "I heard Katherine yelling at the twins to get out of her stomach already, so I'm guessing the babies are due any day."

Elijah lightly chuckled. "Yes, I believe Katerina has been yelling at the twins to get out for about nine months."

She laughed. "So, are you excited? You're going to be a father. That's so exciting!"

Elijah smiled. "Yes, I'm very happy. I've wanted a family for so long.. To be able to make up for the mistakes my parents made."

She nodded in sympathy. "I understand. But, I know you will make a great father. You won't be your father. Or our mother."

Elijah smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Freya."

She shrugged. "Anytime."

"So, I don't think I've asked this lately.. How's school going?" He asked.

"Eh, it's okay. It's school. Did I ever tell you what my homeroom teacher said about you guys?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Us? Who's us?"

"You and our siblings."

"No, I'm afraid not. What did she say?"

"Well, when she did role call on the first day, she read my last name as Mikaelson, and she asked me if I was any relation to you guys. I said I was your long lost sister. And then I asked how she knew you guys. She said that Rebekah and Kol were her students in both their Senior years, and that they were exceptional students. And that Klaus did an internship at the art program a few years ago, and that his work was brilliant. Then she said that everyone knows you because you're the most successful lawyer in Mystic Falls. And then for Finn, she said that he rescued her cat from a burning tree one time, so there's that," she laughed. Elijah joined her.

"Well, that's interesting. What's her name?"

"Mrs. Connor."

"Rebekah complained about her twenty-four/seven, just so you know."

Freya laughed. "I know. She's kind of.. Perky and annoying. But she's nice. She's the only teacher I don't want to set on fire."

"Don't set any teachers on fire, I won't be able to defend you in court," he teased.

She grinned and kicked his shin. "Wouldn't dream of it!"

...

The doorbell rang and Liv jumped up to get it. She's been basically living at Tyler's house, and she's gotten use to the big yet empty mansion. But that doesn't mean the quiet got on her nerves sometimes. She and Tyler always found things to talk about or, uhm, _do, _but she suggested having a few friends over for a game night. Completely lame, she knows, but she's been dating Tyler for months now, and she barely knows what his two best friends' personalities are like. Tyler wanted to have a party, but Liv vetoed that idea down because she's not the type for huge blow-out parties. So instead, Tyler talked to Matt and Jeremy, and they agreed to bring Rebekah and Anna over for a triple-date like hangout.

Liv reached the door and turned the knob. The first guests to arrive were Matt and Rebekah. She smile politely at the engaged couple and invited them in.

"Hey Liv," Matt smiled. "How's it going?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Good, and you?"

He glanced at Rebekah. "This one's been driving me crazy."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "_I'm _driving _you _crazy?"

"Rebekah drives everyone crazy," Matt explains. "But she's adorable for it," he gently touched her nose, which she scrunched up.

Liv smiled. "Well, I'm glad you guys could come."

"Hey!" Jeremy greeted as him and Anna entered the threshold.

"Hey," Matt nodded to his best friend. He smiled at Anna who waved back.

"Where's Ty?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh, he should be.." Liv glanced up the stairs. "Here in.. Three, two, one."

"I'm here!" Tyler announced as he ran down the stairs, falling down two at a time.

The five of them all laughed at the clumsy brunette.

"How are you so ungraceful Mr. Triple Letterman Jacket?" Jeremy joked.

"Oh, shut it, Mr. Antisocial," Tyler responded.

"No need to bring up high school. Please," Matt pleaded.

The three girls stood awkwardly as their boyfriends made a quick visit down memory lane. Rebekah, Liv, and Anna never really spoke, yet their boyfriends talked all the time. They felt weird, but they were glad they had tonight to become friends.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Rebekah asked.

"Liv wants to play board games or something," Tyler answered.

"I never said that! I said we can hang out, or whatever, because this house is so damn big and there's only two of us.."

"I like board games," Anna spoke. Everyone glanced at her weirdly, but she didn't care. "What do you have?"

"Board games?" Rebekah laughed, trying to be mean. "I've never played one," she admitted.

"Seriously?" Tyler asked.

The blonde shrugged. "My father forbid any type of fun in the house.. He threw out most of our Christmas presents most years."

"That's horrible!" Anna cried.

"Eh, I'm used to it," she lifted her shoulders, as if saying _whattaya gonna do?_

"Well, I think the bride-to-be can't get married without playing a board game," Jeremy announced.

"Oh god.." Rebekah groaned.

The group scrimmaged through a dozen boxes in the Lockwood attic trying to find any old games from Tyler's childhood.

"Hey, I found Twister!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Oh, god, no," Liv laughed.

"Ooh, Hungry Hungry Hippos!" Anna held up the beat up box. "With no game.." She laughed and threw the box on the ground.

"This is bloody ridiculous," Rebekah announced as she read the back of Shark Attack. "We seriously don't have to play these games."

"Nah, we got Pictionary, Sorry, Clueless, and Mall Madness," Matt held up four games.

Jeremy snorted. "Dude, you had Mall Madness?"

Tyler tried to defend himself. "What? No, that's not mine.."

"It's not like you have a sister to blame it on," Jeremy said.

"Oh, shut up!" Tyler grabbed the Mall Madness game out of Matt's hand. "Caroline gave it to me for my eighth birthday, and it's actually quite a fun game."

"You kept something Caroline gave you?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow.

"No, my mom just hates throwing stuff out. Which is weird, considering we're the richest people in this damn town."

"No offense, Ty.." Liv rested her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "But these games are boring. Let's do something else."

"Oh thank god," Rebekah threw boxes off of her lap and stood up. "What do you have in mind, blondie?"

"You're blonde, too," Liv glared.

"Okay, fine, sister-of-psycho-killer!"

Jeremy and Tyler snorted while Anna sat there dumbfounded, and Matt facepalmed himself.

Liv stared at Rebekah for a second before breaking out in a grin. "I like her." Rebekah grinned back. "Anyway.. First things first: Break into the liquor cabinet and raid the hell out of it."

"I'm liking this," Tyler agreed.

"Two: Order some pizza."

"I'm in," Jeremy raised his hand.

"And third: play those stupid high school party games like two truths and a lie, and tell stupid stories, but it'll be much more fun than it actually is because we'll be too drunk to care."

Anna and Matt started laughing. Rebekah smirked.

"And then the boys can reveal embarrassing secrets about each other that we can use against them forever," Liv finished.

Rebekah perked up. "I think you're my new favorite! Sorry Matt."

"Yeah, I'm loving this plan already!" Anna agreed.

"Woah, wait, what?" Tyler asked.

"I already know my story about Tyler," Jeremy grinned wickedly.

"Oh no, I think I have a pretty bad story about you first, Jer," Matt chuckled.

"I'm not going to enjoy this game," Tyler warned.

"Too bad," Liv nudged him. "And then once you boys are too drunk and pass out, us girls will ditch you guys and go to a strip club."

Anna and Rebekah laughed in agreement.

"No, you don't get to go without us!" Jeremy said.

"I think in order for you to ditch us, we need to get drunk first," Matt said.

"What are we waiting for?" Anna asked.

As they all exited the attic, Tyler called, "And no one is ditching anybody!"

...

Bonnie paced back and forth along the foyer of the Salvatore Boarding House. She tried to stay calm, but she just couldn't help but be worried that something happened. "Where is he? He said he'd be here in twenty minutes."

A hand rested on her shoulder. "That was twenty minutes ago, Bon." Elena chuckled. "Kol will be here any second," she assured her friend.

"I don't really get why you two just didn't drive here together," Damon spoke as he straightened his tie.

"Because he had training today," Bonnie answered.

"Yeah! Kol-ey has to get in shape for the baseball season!" Emma exclaimed as she pretended to punch the air.

"Not like you would know that, Daddy," Christian said.

Damon look offended that he was just burned by his own son. "Hey, I train! I think I look good!"

Bonnie snorted. "Sorry, but Kol's got you beat."

Elena laughed and got responded with a glare from her husband.

"Anyway.." Bonnie sighed. "I'm just paranoid. I mean it only happened once almost six months ago, but I'm still terrified of him driving alone."

"Why, what happened?" Elena asked.

"Well.. It was right after he found out something about his mother.. And we were driving and he had some sort of a flashback.. You know how his brother died in a car accident?"

Elena nodded sadly.

"He like flash backed to that night or something. It was scary. I know it was most likely just a one time thing, but I'm just worried that it could happen again and no one's there to help him. Every time he's late, I just can't help but worry."

"That's understandable, Bon."

"But Kol's a Mikaelson, and while I don't like most of them, they're a cool bunch," Damon said.

"That made absolutely no sense," Elena pointed out.

"It doesn't need too."

"When are we going to the restaurant?" Chris asked, mispronouncing _restaurant_. Neither pair of parents could find babysitters for Emma or Chris, as Jeremy and Stefan were both going out that night, but it couldn't hurt to take the kids with them. They were both good in public, and it's nice for the two families to hang out, not just the four friends.

"Soon, honey," Elena kissed her son's head. She turned to Bonnie who still looked anxious. "Bonnie, he'll be here any second. You called him and he said he was running late at the training center and that there was some bad traffic. He's fine. And even if he's a bit later than he said, our reservation is not for another," she glanced at her phone clock, "forty minutes. We have plenty of time."

"Yeah, Bon," Damon bumped his friend's shoulder. "I bet you he will knock on that door any second."

As if on cue; _knock knock_ sounded from the front door.

"See? I told you!" Damon grinned as Bonnie breathed in relief.

Bonnie grabbed her coat and quickly put it on. She slipped her phone in her pocket and flipped her hair out of her face. "Emma, you ready?"

Emma perked up. "Yes!"

The crew of five started heading for the front door, but when they opened it up, it wasn't Kol standing on the other side.

...

"I can't believe you brought me to a bar while my mom is sick!" Caroline exclaimed. "I left her to hang out with sober and boring Stefan, and drunk and party-animal Lexi?" She turned to glare at her fiancé.

Klaus shrugged his shoulders and held his hands up in defense. "It was their idea." He pointed at their two friends who were playing pool. He put his hands on Caroline's shoulders and massaged her muscles. "Come on. Let loose. Have some fun. It's what your mother wants you to do."

Caroline sighed and gave in. "Fine. But I am on Stefan's team for pool. You suck, and Lexi's a poor sport."

Klaus was about to laugh, when he felt a sudden pain in his chest. He stopped in tracks, and his hands fell to his sides. He felt light headed, as if his soul left his body for a moment. But the strange part was that it didn't feel like something was wrong with _him_, more like some out of body experience with someone else. Like something happened to someone else, but he felt their pain. He couldn't quite describe it. He felt like he lost something. Or someone.

Caroline noticed her fiancé go limp. She turned around with worry in her bright blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

Klaus shook out of his daze. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just felt.." He shook his head. He didn't need to worry her. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all. Let's go play some pool." He took her hand and led her to their friends.

...

Laughter filled the Lockwood mansion as Jeremy tried to do an impression of Marvin Martian followed by a handstand, but he was so drunk he lost his balance and crashed into the bookshelf.

"Oh my god, are you alright?!" Anna asked her boyfriend. She was genuinely concerned, but she also found it hilarious.

Jeremy stood up and rubbed his head. "10 out of 10, would not recommend."

"Good job, man," Tyler gave the other brunette a high five.

"Like you could do better," Jeremy huffed.

"I could. But I'm not going to try because I like my head right side up."

"My turn!" Liv exclaimed.

"Ugh, I'm sick of truth or dare.." Rebekah groaned. She then sat up with a sharp pain in her side. It wasn't a normal type of pain, it was like an emotional tug. It wasn't even really on her side.. More like her heart. She felt her heart get heavy, as if a million knives stabbed themselves there. It was a two second pain that passed almost as quickly as it had appeared. She was confused where that pain came from. She was feeling completely fine before. She didn't even drink that much, even at all. She took a breath, and no one seemed to notice her little episode. She shrugged it off and observed the room again.

She had to admit, this night was pretty fun. She was probably the soberest person here, and her friends' actions were hilarious. It was also nice to see her fiancé let loose for a night. God knows they both needed a night out.

"Well, you already took your shirt off," Anna mentioned, gesturing to Rebekah's sweater hanging over the table.

Rebekah turned to glare at Tyler. "I always knew you wanted to see me without a shirt."

Tyler turned to his friend. "I'm sorry, Matt. Guilty."

Matt shrugged. "She does look pretty great without a shirt."

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"What game do you want to play now?" Liv asked as she stuffed a slice of cheese pizza in her mouth. "I really shouldn't be eating this. But this is really good.."

"Don't worry," Anna said. "Your boobs are great."

"Aww, thanks!" Liv laughed and threw her arms around Anna's shoulders. "You're so nice," she said as she kissed the other girl's cheek.

"I never knew that was something that I wanted in my life," Tyler spoke as he glanced between Liv and Anna, a seductive grin plastered on his face.

"Yeah, me neither," Jeremy agreed.

"Oh, you wish," Liv gagged.

"I really do wish," Tyler took Liv's hand and they dangled between the couches.

"Oh my god, I'm surround by drunk perverts," Rebekah said to herself.

"Well, it's better than sober perverts," Matt said.

"I wouldn't be so sure.." Rebekah said. "Anyway, the next game I want to play is-"

The British blonde was interrupted by her own cell phone deciding to sing _"Hey now, hey now, this is what dreams are made of,"_ which Anna had dared her to change her ringtone to. She looked around for her phone but couldn't find it.

"Does anyone know where my phone went?" She asked. Everyone shrugged, but Anna looked guilty.

"I hid it on top of the mantle."

"Dude, I'm not that bloody tall!" She exclaimed.

"Oops," Anna sang.

"Looks like you'll have to do some gymnastics to get up there," Matt suggested.

Rebekah sighed. The song was only halfway through the chorus, so she had fifteen seconds at best to get to her phone. She jumped up and leaped off of the couch, her fingers barely grazing the top of the mantle. Fortunately, her phone was at the front so her hand hit it, but unfortunately, she wasn't expecting it to be there so she knocked it to the floor. Since she had jumped, she had nothing to catch her so she herself landed on the hard floor with a _thump_.

"Ow," Rebekah groaned as she picked up her phone. She glanced at the caller ID which was an unknown number. "I went through all that effort for an unknown number?" Tyler snorted.

"It could be important," Matt said.

She looked apologetically at the group of five and said, "I should probably go take this."

They all nodded and sent her off. She stood up, grabbed her shirt, and walked over to the corner. She quickly pressed _answer _before the call went to voicemail. She hastily threw her shirt on as she held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She said into the phone.

_"Hello, is this Rebekah Mikaelson?"_ The voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, who is this?" Her heart started racing. She had felt a sharp pain in her heart a few minutes before. Her heart started feeling stabbed as this person's voice on the other line sounded sympathetic. She had no reason to start overreacting, but she just had a dark feeling in her gut that this phone call and that sharp pain in her heart were related. She felt as if her air circulation had been cut off. _Stop, _she chastised herself. _You're overreacting. _She felt her lungs breathe again, but she seemed to miss what the caller had said. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

_"Oh, I'm sorry.. We're calling because your brother has been in an accident."_

* * *

**OH NO! Which Mikaelson brother has been in an accident? And who was at the door? Why did Klaus and Rebekah get a sharp pain in their heart? Where is Kol? Where was Finn this chapter? When will the twins be born?**

**I hope you liked this chapter! Kol and Bonnie finally talked about their secrets, and both were completely understanding. And how did you like everyone hanging out? **

**Please review with what you thought about the chapter, and what you think about the cliffhangers! Who is hurt? **

**Until next time :) xx**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys! Wow, I'm updating less than a week later? What kind of sorcery is this?! And this chapter is over 10,000 words long, yikes! I guess that since I've had this chapter planned out for so long, the ideas just came out of me? I did write this in one day (save for the last 500 words and then revising which I did today) and I stayed up until 2 in the morning because I just couldn't go to sleep as I wanted to write out my ideas before I forgot them. **

**But do not worry! This chapter is actually very happy! Warning: there is a major plot twist in the middle, but everything works out in the end. I promise. You guys shall not worry.**

**And btw: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR OVER 100 REVIEWS! This really means a lot to me! You guys are so sweet and so supportive! I don't say this enough, but I love you guys :)**

**Disclaimer: Am I supposed to say this every chapter? I don't even know tbh. But whatever.**

* * *

_"We're calling because your brother has been in an accident."_

And just like that, Rebekah's heart snapped in half. Her head started spinning and her knees felt like jelly. Her mind traveled back to those exact same words over a decade ago. How could she lose another brother? She didn't even know which one it was, but it didn't matter because they were a _pack _and they could not lose a member. She loved all four of her brothers equally, just as they loved her, and she could not dare to choose between them. She was still struggling with who would walk her down the aisle at her wedding.

_What if the choice get smaller?_

No.

All four of her brothers were fine. Just because someone was in an accident doesn't mean they _died. _But what about the dark abyss in her stomach, where she felt her heartstrings literally being pulled apart, as if she lost a part of herself? Could you really feel it yourself if someone you loved had gotten hurt? Could you feel their pain as if it were your own? If your bond was strong enough, could it sustain even that deep of a psychological connection?

_"Miss? Did you hear me? I said your brother, Kol Mikaelson, has been in an accident. He is completely innocent, a drunk driver had came out of nowhere and hit his car. He tried to stay conscious, and by the time the ambulance got there, he was on the verge of passing out. He was able to mutter _'call my sister' _before we lost him. He's still breathing, and we're taking him into surgery right now. We're going to do the best we can, but he lost a lot of blood, and we're not sure he'll make it. We won't know anything for sure until he's out of surgery, but you might want to get to the hospital."_

Rebekah only heard half of what the other voice said. Her voice was barely audible as she managed to hold back her tears. "Is he going to be alright?"

_"We certainly hope so."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She didn't even wait to hear what the other person had to say before the hung up. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, but she couldn't stop her eyes from becoming Niagara Falls. Tears streamed down her face faster than humanly possible, and soon enough her entire face was damp from her heartbreak.

_Kol's a fighter. He's strong. He'll make it through this. _

Her legs suddenly managed to move. She was standing in front of her friends again, and Matt was the first to notice her. He was smiling at her, but his smile immediately faded when he saw his fiancé's sullen expression. He jumped to his feet, to save her, to protect her, to comfort her. He didn't know what was wrong, and despite being in a drunken haze, he was still her Prince Charming that would do anything to keep her happy and safe.

But he couldn't possibly save her from this.

"My brother," she sobbed. She couldn't find words to speak, she couldn't find air to breathe. She finally broke down. "Kol."

Jeremy jumped up at the sound of his friend's name. "What's wrong with Kol?" He didn't seem drunk anymore, as if hearing about someone he cared about cured his mind.

Matt wrapped his arms around Rebekah, pulling her close into a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder. "He was in an accident. I need..." She pushed Matt away. "We need to get to the hospital! Now."

"You guys can't drive like this," Liv interrupted. "Matt and Jeremy are wasted, and Rebekah, you're too much in an emotional wreck to drive. And you did have a few drinks, too."

"I know!" Rebekah screamed. "Oh, god," she suddenly remembered. "I need to call my brothers. They need to know what happened. And Bonnie.. Oh, Bonnie."

She whipped out her phone once again and dialed Klaus's number. He picked up on the third ring, sounded quite irritated. _"Hello, sister. How nice of you to call."_

"Kol's been in an accident," she blurted.

_Klaus instantly regretted his tone of voice. He pulled away from Caroline and his friends and walked over to a corner. Caroline gave him a strange look, but nevertheless watched him go. Klaus knew something was up when he felt a pain in his heart only moments before. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but now he knew he felt his brother get hurt. _

_His _baby brother._ The annoying little punk who pulled pranks and told jokes and said rude comments, but he was always there for you when you needed him. The troublemaker, the willy fox. The kind, energetic, burst of light. _

_"What happened?" He growled into the phone._

"I don't know!" His sister cried. "All I know is that a drunk driver hit him, and he lost a lot of blood, and he's being prepped for surgery. Nik, they don't know if he'll make it."

_"Oh god.."_ _Klaus didn't want to imagine a place without his little brother. He already lost one, he will _not_ lose another. _

"Nik, I need you to come pick me up. I'm not in any condition to drive, and Matt's too drunk.."

_Klaus nodded, although he knew she couldn't see him. "Of course. Where are you?"_

"Lockwood Mansion."

_"Why the hell are you there?"_ _He asked as he reached into his pocket to pull out his keys. He started making his way over to Caroline, Stefan, and Lexi. "Never mind, it's not important. I'll be there in ten minutes."_

_He hung up and gently turned Caroline's shoulder. She spun around with a grin on her face, but when she saw tears spring from her fiancé's blue eyes, she lightly gasped. "What's wrong?"_

_"We need to get to the hospital, now."_

_"What? Why?" She asked, fearing something happened to her mother. _

_"Kol's been in an accident."_

_Caroline gasped. "Oh no, is he okay?!"_

_Klaus paused. "I don't know."_

_Caroline turned to her friends. "I'm so sorry, guys. We got to go."_

_They nodded in understanding. _

_"Of course," Lexi said._

_"Let us know if everything's alright," Stefan added._

_Caroline and Klaus nodded goodbye before the headed out to the car._

Rebekah was too upset to be angry at Niklaus for hanging up on her. She had more matters to deal with. She dialed Elijah's number half as quickly as it took for Klaus to press the _end _button on their call.

_"Hello, sister," Elijah greeted with a grin. _

"Get to the hospital. _Now,_" the blonde stressed.

_"Why?" Elijah asked, fearing the worst._

"Kol was in a car accident. They don't know if he'll make it, Elijah." Every time she said it, a bit more of her heart broke each time.

_Elijah's heart stopped. The worst he feared came true. His brother? Kol? He could not picture his youngest brother being anything but indestructible. To even think about losing him.. Elijah didn't want to think about it. "Nothing will happen to him, I promise." He wasn't sure he believed the sound of his own voice cracking. _

"You don't know that," she answered. "You can't promise that."

_"I know Kol. He's not going to lose this fight."_

"I still need to call Finn and Bonnie," Rebekah said. "I'll see you at the hospital."

_Elijah nodded, tears still threatening to fall from his eyes. "I'll see you."_

Once the call with Elijah ended, Rebekah was already dialing her eldest brother's number.

_Finn answered on the fifth ring. He seemed a bit tired, probably because it was Tate's bedtime, and the tiny fireball was a rebel when it came to sleep. "Rebekah," he greeted. He didn't know why she called so late, but he was so tired he was about to pass out on the phone._

"Finn.. Kol's been in an accident." Rebekah's sobs kept interrupting her words.

_Finn instantly jumped awake. "What?" His heart started racing. Panic emerged through him, grief engulfed him. _

"Meet me at the hospital. Hurry," she cried. Then she ended the call.

Rebekah tried to breathe, but she lost her ability. Tyler came up to her with a glass of water. "You look like you're going to pass out from dehydration."

She accepted the glass gratefully. "Thanks," she managed a small smile. The cool water slid down her throat, opening up her lungs and she felt somewhat better. She was able to breathe. She took a deep breath, and tried to dial the final number. She already gave the news four times already, and every time she did, it made the news all the more real. She glanced out the window, hoping Klaus's car would pull into the driveway already.

It turns out, she didn't need to dial Bonnie's number, because the brunette called her first. She clicked _answer _on her touchscreen, and brought her phone up to her ear.

"Bonnie-"

_"Have you seen your brother?" The brunette's voice dripped with venom. "He's almost an hour late!" It was then the blonde realized that the other girl's voice wasn't angry, it was laced with worry. Rebekah dreaded having to share this news._

"Kol's been in an accident."

_Bonnie felt her heart fall all the way to hell. It dropped six feet under, and she wasn't sure it was even beating anymore. She knew it! Her idiot boyfriend got himself hurt. She was not mad at him, no way. She was mad at herself. She knew something was wrong, but she hadn't done anything. "What happened?" She managed to choke out. _

"A drunk driver hit him," the sister answered.

_Bonnie let out a deep breath. Her eyes were already soaked with tragedy. "Please tell me he's alright-"_

"He's being prepped for surgery.." Rebekah debated telling her brother's girlfriend whether or not the possibility of him surviving wasn't 100% likely. She was able to tell her brothers because they knew Kol would make it. They've known the bloody bastard his whole life, they were used to being worried about him and having it turn out to be nothing. But Bonnie? She's worried all of the time, for no reason. Rebekah didn't think she could survive now that she had a reason. "They're sure he's going to make full recovery. He's going to be fine," she lied.

_Bonnie breathed in relief. "You sure?"_

"Totally." Rebekah hated lying to her, but she was doing it to protect her. "But we should still go to the hospital. To be there when he wakes up." Rebekah could only hope they'd be there when he woke up. _If _he woke up.

_"Of course," Bonnie let out a little laugh. "That brother of yours.. Always stirring up trouble. I'll see you at the hospital."_

"See you." Rebekah clicked _end._

"You shouldn't have lied to her," a voice said from behind her. The blonde turned around and it was Jeremy looking down at her.

"She wouldn't have been able to handle her worry. Trust me. My brother can break a lot of hearts."

Jeremy rested a hand on her shoulder. "Bonnie's a lot stronger than you think. And so are you. You seem much better."

She shrugged. "I'm not better.. I'm not going to be okay until I find out if my brother is." She wiped her eyes to stop another tear from falling. She changed the subject. "Are you coming to the hospital?"

"I think Kol just needs his family right now. I'll be there in the morning, if that's all right," he answered.

Rebekah sighed. "Jeremy.. You're Kol's best friend.. I think he would love it if you came. You _are _his family."

Before Jeremy could answer, Matt poked his head around the corner. "Bekah, Klaus just pulled up."

Rebekah jumped up, grabbing her coat and phone. She looked at Jeremy as if asking _you coming? _Jeremy stood up, kissed Anna goodbye, before following Rebekah and Matt out to Klaus and Caroline's car.

...

Klaus drove like a maniac on the way to the hospital. Caroline chastised him for driving so fast, warning him not to end up in an accident like his brother. But Klaus didn't care. He needed to get to the hospital. He needed to see his brother.

When they reached the hospital, Klaus and Rebekah almost jumped out of the car. They reached the waiting room, with Jeremy, Caroline, and Matt right behind them, and saw that Elijah, Freya, and Katherine were already waiting there.

Elijah jumped to his feet when he saw his siblings. Rebekah had calmed down during the ride to the hospital, but seeing her older brother's worried expression collapsed her heart once again. She couldn't contain her tears, and water streamed down her cheeks as quickly as she ran to her brother's arms. He wrapped her in a bear hug, and kissed the top of her hair. She wanted to stay in her brother's arms forever. It was safe there. It was safe with her family. Familiar. She didn't want to think of a world without that. Without Kol.

Klaus rested a hand on Rebekah's shoulders, and she pulled away from her hug with Elijah. Klaus kissed the top of her head. She realized the two hadn't been able to comfort each other. After all, she did jump in the back of his car and order him to hit the wheel, barely giving Matt and Jeremy enough time to climb in with her. Klaus then turned to Elijah and the two shared a look before giving each other a hug.

Freya slowly walked up to the trio. She hasn't known her family long, she knows that they have a bond that she could only dream of. Her siblings have welcomed her with open arms, Rebekah later than others, but how well does she really fit in? She loves Kol, she does, but she's only known him for a few months. How do Rebekah, Klaus, Elijah, and Finn feel? They've known for Kol for twenty-five years. They've shared every laugh, smile, scrape, and bruise with him. They must feel horrible, like they're losing a limb.

Rebekah noticed her sister inching her way towards them. She gave the girl a small smile through her tears, holding out her arms. Freya gladly embraced her older sister, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Finn entered the double doors a moment later, confused out of his mind.

"Kol?" He asked his siblings. "How does that bloke.." He couldn't finish his question. The poor man was a mess.

"I don't know," Rebekah cried. She hugged her eldest brother. "I don't know," she whispered.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Freya asked.

"We don't know, Freya," Elijah said sadly. "The nurses won't tell me anything."

"How long have you been here?" Klaus asked.

"About ten minutes," Elijah answered.

"Ten bloody minutes," Klaus muttered.

Rebekah huffed and pulled away from Finn. She marched up to the front desk, her siblings right behind her. "What the bloody hell happened to my brother?" She wasn't just sad anymore. She was pissed. She needed to know what happened, and she's going to find out _now. _

The receptionist gave her a fake smile. "Who's your brother?"

"Kol Mikaelson."

The lady behind the desk scanned through the computer. "Ah, yes. He's still in surgery."

"Okay, that's great, but what the hell happened to him?" Klaus snapped.

"He was in a car accident."

The five indignant looks from five pissed off siblings made the receptionist take back her choice of words.

"I'm sorry, let me find some more details for you.. He was at a stop light when a drunk driver curved around the corner and slid into his car. The two cars spun down the road, and Mr. Mikaelson's car crashed into a pole. His side of the car crushed on impact. He tried to stay awake, but he was losing a lot of blood. He was conscious when the ambulance got there, but again he was losing too much blood. We tried to keep him awake, but he finally passed out from exhaustion. Before he passed out, he managed to tell us to call his sister, Rebekah. We called you, and I think you know how that went. The paramedics brought him here and brought him right into surgery. He should be out in.. Fifteen minutes. A doctor can speak to you about his condition then."

"Why didn't any of the medics call me? They know he's my brother," Finn asked.

"Perhaps, they didn't want to worry you," she answered.

"Thanks for your time," Elijah nodded at the receptionist. He then turned his siblings around and they walked back to their friends.

"How is he?" Jeremy asked.

"We don't know," Elijah answered. "He should be out of surgery in fifteen minutes, and then a doctor will be able to talk to us."

"Oh, I hope he's alright," Caroline said from her spot next to Katherine. "We don't need anymore heartbreaks. We don't need anymore death."

"Yeah, I agree with Caroline," Katherine spoke. "We've been spending too much time at the hospital."

"Rebekah!" Bonnie exclaimed as she rushed through the double doors. Elena, Damon, Emma, and Chris were right behind her. "How is he?"

"He should be out of surgery in fifteen minutes, and then a doctor can tell us his injuries," Elijah started.

"And whether he'll survive," Finn finished. "They did say they didn't know if it looked good?" He asked Rebekah.

"You told me he was fine," Bonnie accused the blonde. "You said he was going to make full recovery!"

Rebekah lowered her gaze to the ground. "Bonnie, I'm sorry I lied.." she apologized. "I just didn't want to worry you."

"So there's a chance.." Bonnie couldn't finish her sentence. Water sprung from her green eyes like a waterfall. Her heart broken into a million pieces. No one needed to answer her question. She knew there was a chance she might not see her boyfriend again.

"Why are we at the hospital?" Chris asked.

"I'm getting real tired of this hospital," Emma sighed as she hugged her dad's legs.

"I wanted to eat pizza and chocolate cake," Chris said. "When are we going to dinner?"

Elena pulled her son into her lap. She wiped her son's hair away from his eyes. "Honey.. We're not going out to dinner anymore. I'm sorry-"

"Oh no, you guys can go, if you want.." Bonnie shrugged.

"No way," Damon shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you earlier."

Bonnie sighed. "It's okay-"

"Wait, where's Kol-ey?!" Emma exclaimed. "He's always here!" She looked around the room for him.

Rebekah and Bonnie both felt like breaking down into a puddle.

"Em.. Kol's the one we're here for," Jeremy told his daughter.

"But he's going to be fine," Caroline assured the little girl on the verge of tears.

"Oh no," Katherine interrupted. Everyone turned their heads toward the brunette. Her hands were on her stomach. "Oh, god. This can't be happening."

"Katerina, what's wrong?" Elijah asked. Worry filled his veins as he stepped forward towards his wife. Something could not be wrong with her, too. He forbid fate from taking his brother, his wife, or his children.

"Oh my god," Caroline instantly stood up when she noticed the pool of water surround Katherine's feet. The brunette's hospital chair was soaked with water.

Everyone noticed what the blonde was staring at and all of their eyes widened in shock.

Katherine had gone into labor.

"The twins are coming!" Katherine cried.

"Oh. My. God," Elena and Rebekah said simultaneously.

"Nurse!" Elijah yelled. He rushed to his wife's aid, helping her stand up. "My wife just went into labor!" He shouted.

Everyone in the waiting room began to panic, as if not sure what to do. They were glad something good was happening for once, but they were all conflicted on whether or not to be happy for Katherine and Elijah or worried for Kol.

It was both a joyous day, and a not-so-joyous day.

...

"Mrs. Mikaelson, you are about three centimeters along," the doctor said. "Things are looking good," he smiled at Katherine and Elijah. "You guys must be excited."

Elijah tried to smile, but he was both so tired, and so stressed and worried about his brother. "I am, trust me.. It's just, my brother is in surgery, and he might not make it," he choked on his own words. He knew that this was not a good sign. His children being born on the same night Kol could die? It was like trading one family member for another. And he wasn't the only one thinking that.

"I can't believe Katherine went into labor," Rebekah whispered to Klaus as they waited outside Katherine's room. "Please tell me we're not trading Kol for the twins.."

Klaus rested his hand on his sister's. "We're not. It's just a coincidence. Kol should be fine."

"I wonder if he's out of surgery yet.."

"Finn said he'd come get us when the doctor came so that way he could speak to all of us." Klaus and Rebekah, as well as Elena, Damon, Chris, Caroline, Matt, and Jeremy, came with Elijah and Katherine to the maternity wing. Bonnie, Finn, Freya, and Emma stayed back in the emergency room to wait for the doctor regarding Kol.

Elijah exited Katherine's room. "Elena, your sister would like you by her side."

Elena stood immediately. "Of course. And I called Jenna and Alaric.. They said they were on their way."

"Are they going to be okay?" Elijah asked. He was worried how triggering this could be for them. They only lost their child last month.

"They said they would not miss the birth. Also, Katherine's parents are coming, too. They should be here by morning."

Elijah mentally groaned at the mention of his in-laws. "Katherine doesn't want them in the room with her, they know that, right? She just wants you and me."

Elena nodded. "They're trying," she said before she disappeared into the room.

Caroline, Matt, Damon, and Jeremy were sitting silently around the hall. Chris was falling asleep on his father's lap, a half eaten cheeseburger from the hospital cafeteria in his hands.

"I'm going to get some coffee.." Caroline spoke up.

"I'll come with you," Matt stood. "Want anything?" He asked everyone. They all shook their heads.

Elijah turned to his two siblings. "Katherine is not that far along in her labor. She said I can go see Kol.."

"Do you think he's out yet?" Rebekah stood along with Klaus. "Finn hasn't come gotten us yet-" Her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen. "Spoke too soon. We better get going."

The trio took off down the confusing corridors, finding their way back to the emergency room.

The doctor was speaking hushly with Finn, but once they had come around the corner, the doctor opened up so he could speak to those immediately involved in his patient's life.

Bonnie stood there with her boyfriend's siblings, holding Emma, who was falling asleep, resting her head on her mother's shoulders. Bonnie felt out of place next to the Mikaelsons. She knew how close they were with Kol, and she didn't know if she belonged. But Rebekah brushed her hand against hers, silently telling her that she and Emma _were _Kol's family. That they had every right to be in this conversation as she did.

All six eyes stared at the doctor, waiting to receive the news. "Kol is going to be fine."

That was all they needed to hear. They all breathed out sighs of relief, and tears of joy erupted from their eyes. They were all so happy and relieved, they basically ignored the doctor.

Dr. Powers coughed to regain their attention. "Kol is going to be fine.. Although, he is in a coma right now, and we don't know when he will wake up."

Scratch that joyous news.

"We are optimistic he should wake up tomorrow, but you never know. Nothing too dramatic should happen, no sudden negative impact should occur. He seems completely healthy to wake up very soon, it's all up to him really. We did our part, now he has to do his. His injuries are minimal. No brain damage or any other major organ. All of his body systems remain intact. A few broken bones, though. His shoulder was only sprained, but I still would not recommend putting any pressure on it for a few weeks. His legs are a bit sprained, we're going to give him crutches. His thighs were mostly damaged, his knees are a bit twisted, and somehow his ankle broke. Thankfully, no broken ribs. All of his bones will heal given time. Shoulders and legs I am going to give a few weeks, but his foot I am going to give six months. He may need crutches after his legs have healed, before his foot heals, he may not. He will need a cast until his foot is fully healed. I understand he is a professional baseball player. He will not be able to play this season. He may return next year if he's feeling up for it, but we'll speak more on the matter when the time comes. Hopefully he is done healing by then. Again, if he wakes up tomorrow, I can explain all of this to him, but for the most part, we are optimistic about his recovery. Your brother- and erm, boyfriend- was extremely lucky."

The Mikaelson siblings and Bonnie breathed in relief. They were glad Kol was going to be alright- if he woke up. A deep part of all of them was scared he wouldn't wake up, but they all knew Kol was a fighter, and he was going to fight like hell to return to all of them.

"Can we see him?" Freya asked.

"I don't see why not," the doctor grinned. "But until he is awake, only a few at a time."

"Thank you very much," Elijah spoke. The doctor nodded before walking away.

"Who wants to go in first?" Finn asked. They all turned to Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, it's fine. You're his siblings.. If you guys want to go in first.."

"If you don't mind.." Rebekah spoke. "I'd like to say something to him. Something only he will understand."

They all nodded, encouraging her to go in. Rebekah turned around and walked into Kol's room.

...

Seeing her brother covered in casts and bandages was not something she ever wanted to see. She took a deep breath and walked forward. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, unlike when he's awake he's a bubble of energy that won't shut up. She smiled as she took his hand. It was warm. It was alive. She could feel the blood pumping through his veins. She noticed the rise and fall of his chest. It was faint, but it was there.

"Hello, brother," she spoke. She lightly touched his forehead, moving his damp brown hair out of his face. "You really scared me, you bloody idiot," she chuckled. "You know.. I was all prepare to come in here with this big speech about how 'I am not going to let you die. You hear me? Whatever it takes.' But, since I hear you're going to be fine, there's really no point." She rested her chin on her hand, which was folded on top of his. "You better wake up, Kol. I swear to god.." She wiped a tear from her eye before it fell. "I love you so much. And you're going to wake up." She smiled as she said her last words. "Whatever it takes."

...

Klaus stood above his youngest brother. His brother who happened to be unconscious, wrapped in a million bandages, and his foot in a major cast. He didn't know what to say.

"Hey.. Brother.." Klaus shook his head. "I really hope you can't hear me. I mean, I'm probably going to sound like a bloody goof, and you're going to hold it against me forever." He sighed. "I know we have our differences, but you're my brother. I love you. I need you to wake up. Ever since we were kids, whenever I was in a bad mood or I was upset, you were always the one to get me to smile. Now, I have Caroline to help me smile.. But as much as I hate to say it, girls like her come and go. I hope she never leaves me, but you.. Family is always constant. Our family is a special case. Our parents were let downs, but us five, now six, made it great on our own. We're a constant in each others' lives, even if we hate to admit it. You're always going to make me smile, and you're always going to get my guard down. You're my brother, and I need you to wake up. We're a family. Always and forever."

...

Finn sat in the chair beside the hospital bed. He stared at his baby brother. He remembered the day Kol was born. He already had two little brothers, but he was just as excited for a third. Kol grew into a troublemaker, one that annoyed Finn on a daily basis. One time when Kol was five, and Finn was twelve, Finn took Kol to the swimming hole for a day. Elijah and Klaus were off with Mikael (more like Mikael wanted to take Elijah somewhere and Klaus tagged along, and Elijah was very good at sticking up for his brother, even at age nine), and Rebekah was helping their mother prepare for baby Henrik. That required shopping for baby clothes, and none of the boys wanted to do that.

Finn had taken his brother to the swimming hole, and Kol had gotten lost in the woods. Well, more like he hid from Finn. The eldest Mikaelson threw a fit as he ran around the woods. He hated himself from taking his eyes off the little rascal for _five _seconds. He almost burned the trees down. But when he heard giggling from up in the tree tops, he looked up and sure enough, there was Kol hanging on the lowest branch. Finn breathed in relief, but then freaked out when he saw Kol hanging upside down eight feet in the air. He managed to get him down, and scolded him from running away and putting himself in dangerous situations. Kol just shrugged and stuck his tongue out, before rushing off to the water. Finn sighed. He was never able to get through to his brother.

"I was never able to get through to you..." Finn stated. "But if there's ever a time you listen to me, it should be now. _Please. Please, _wake up. This isn't some cruel trick.. This is real life. I don't think I can handle it I lost you. It may never have seemed like it.. But I love you. You're a giant git, but I love you. And that's all you need to know. I hope you know that."

...

Elijah smiled down at the brother who resembled him the most. His smile was both happy and sad. He was glad to hear that his brother was going to be okay. But there was still a possibility that Kol could never wake up. It was slight, but it was there.

And Elijah was not going to let that happen. He would tear down every law and rule and house and burn every paper in order to avenge his brother. He was going to start a serious case against the drunk driver who hit his brother.

He shook his head out of his thoughts. He brought his hand down to his brother's shoulder. "Brother.. I never thought I'd see the day where I miss you. Where I miss your inappropriate comments, the ones that make me cringe in embarrassment. It's basically every word that comes out of your mouth. No, what I mean is.. I never thought I'd see the day where I am given a chance to miss you. You've always been indestructible. I never imagined something could tear you down." He lightly touched the vein on this inside of Kol's wrist. "So guess what? Katherine has gone into labor. I know Hayden and Sophia are going to want to meet you.. They're going to love you." He breathed deeply. "I want you to meet the twins. I want.. I want to name Hayden after you. His middle name was originally going to be something else.. But I now know it's going to be Kol. And I know that once you wake up, you're going to gloat about how you're so awesome that I named my son after you. Well, I can't wait." Elijah's smile returned. "I love you, brother. Wake up soon."

...

Kol was the sibling that Freya was probably least closest to. That didn't mean they weren't close; he took her out for ice cream one time, brought her to the batting cages, and they even have a few inside jokes. Kol was a mastermind at pranks and making people laugh. Whenever Freya was feeling down about some stupid boy or some mean girl at school, Kol would crack a joke and she'd feel better. She needed him to crack a joke now.

"Hey, Kol," she greeted. She sat down at the foot of his bed. She picked up his hand, but then set it back down. She wasn't really sure what to do with herself. He was her brother, but she didn't feel so comfortable crying about how much she loved him. "I don't know what to say here, so if you could wake up and tell me, that'd be great."

Nothing.

"Okay then." She blew hair out of her face and looked up at the ceiling. "I know I haven't known you for very long.. I could never match up to what Rebekah, Nik, Finn, and Elijah have already said. They've know you your whole life. They love you. But, I love you, too. You make me laugh, and you're kind to me, and I get happy when I see you. Isn't that what love is? You enjoy someone's company?" She shook her head. "If you're listening right now, I'm probably in trouble. You're never going to let me live this down." She wiped her eye with the back of her hand to stop the tears from falling. "Please, wake up. Even if I don't need you, our siblings are going to need you, Bonnie and Emma will need you. I know you love them.. So, just wake up. For them."

...

Bonnie walked through the doors of her boyfriend's hospital room. Once she saw him, all bruised and battered, she wanted to turn around and take off running. She couldn't handle seeing him like this. Yes, she knew he was going to be alright. But doctors get things wrong sometimes. What if he doesn't wake up tomorrow? What if he doesn't wake up, ever? She knew she shouldn't be pulling at her own heartstrings but she couldn't help it. She always thought of the worse. She was never going to not worry about him, or anyone she cared about for that matter.

She walked towards the front of his bed, the side his head rested on. Seeing him sleep.. She was able to imagine they were at home. It was just a regular night where she couldn't sleep. Nightmares. She would wake up in the middle of the night, and she would turn over and surprisingly he didn't stir. He was such a heavy sleeper. His tiny, quiet, little snores were adorable and instantly made her not afraid anymore. She looked at his peaceful sleeping face and remembered that everything was okay. And then she'd fall back asleep.

But he wasn't sleeping. He should be. But he's not.

She took his hand in hers. Her heart fluttered when she realized how _warm, how alive, _his skin felt. Her fingered rested on the inside of his wrist, where she could feel his pulse. She laughed through her tears. She wasn't crying because she was sad, but because she was happy. She didn't have to fear about him not waking up. The possibility of him collapsing was very slim. He was healthy, he was alive. He was going to wake up. She was sure of it. And she was not going to leave this room until he did.

...

Jeremy entered Kol's room and saw Bonnie asleep on the chair, her hands tangled with Kol's, her head leaning on her arms. He smiled sadly. He sneaked up to the bed, on the other side of Kol. He looked at his friend and wanted to say a few words, but he couldn't think of anything.

It was four in the morning. Everyone's been at the hospital for over five hours. Katherine is almost ready to give birth, and Bonnie entered Kol's room over three hours ago and hasn't left. The rest of the Mikaelsons took off back to the maternity wing, to be there when their niece and nephew were born. Jeremy stayed over there too for a few hours, but he was still anxious to see his friend. Jenna and Alaric had showed up at about midnight, and they seemed genuinely happy for Katherine and Elijah. Although, Jeremy could see they were a bit jealous and heartbroken about their own child, but they seemed more excited than not. Once Katherine's adoptive parents arrived, Jeremy handed Emma to Caroline, who just woke up from her nap on Klaus's shoulder, and headed down to Kol's hospital room.

He needed to see his friend. He needed to tell him to wake his ass up.

"Hey, man," Jeremy whispered. "I hear you're going to be fine. Well, that better be true, because once you wake up, I'm going to beat the shit out of you for scaring all of us." He chuckled. "Wake up, please. Because I don't think Bonnie's going to find a life outside of this hospital room until you do. Oh, and Emma's worried sick about you. She said she's going to give you her Doc McStuffins doll so you can wake up." He smiled. "I'll see you soon, buddy."

...

"How's the mother-to-be?" Sage smiled as she entered Katherine's hospital room. Elena was curled up on the chair in the corner sleeping, while Elijah sat in the chair next to the bed reading silently. Katherine lay awake in her bed staring at the ceiling, but when her sister-in-law came through the door, she grinned.

"Hey," the brunette smiled. "It's about time you arrive."

"I wanted to come with Finn, but Tate was asleep and he told me to come once Tate woke up." Sage turned to her brother-in-law. "I'm sorry about Kol. I'm glad he's okay."

Elijah smiled gratefully. "I am too. Let's hope he stays that way."

Katherine rested her hand on her husband's shoulder. "He's going to wake up. He's Kol. He can't go without bothering someone for too long." Sage chuckled. "So, where's the little firecracker?" Katherine asked Sage.

"Tate? He's outside," she nodded to the doors that led to the hallway. "You have lot of friends out there. A lot of people that care."

"A lot of people to choose between to be the godparents," Katherine muttered.

"Do you guys have any ideas?" The redhead asked.

Elijah nodded. "We do. But it's a secret."

"What time is it?" Katherine yawned.

"Five thirty," Sage answered.

"Is it time to pop these suckers out, yet?" Katherine whined. "Seven hour labor is _not _fun."

"The last time the doctor checked your diameter, you were almost nine inches. I'm sure when he gets back, you'll be ready," Elijah assured her.

"Oh great.. More pain.." Katherine threw her head back on her pillow. "Double the trouble," she muttered. "Why did we agree that having kids was a good idea?" She asked her husband.

Elijah chuckled. "Katerina, I swear to god if you scream about this being _my _fault-"

"Because it is. _You _got me pregnant."

Sage glanced between the two parents and smiled. This scene reminded her of herself and Finn right before Tate was born.

Before Elijah could respond to his wife, the nurse came in to check Katherine's diameter.

"Hello, Katherine. It's almost time! Are you ready?" The nurse smiled.

Katherine nodded. "I've been ready for nine months."

The nurse laughed and checked the diameter. "Ten inches. Let me call the doctor and we can get the stuff ready. Your twins are on their way."

Sage squealed and hugged Katherine. "Okay, wow, I'm sorry, that was very Caroline of me."

Katherine laughed. "Nah, it's okay. I'd act like Caroline right now, too."

"Speaking of Caroline.." Elijah started. "Sage, would you mind waking Elena, and then going to into the waiting room to let everyone know Katherine's ready to give birth?"

Sage shook her head. "I'm on it."

She walked over to Elena and gently shook her. Elena yawned as she opened her eyes. She almost screamed when she saw Sage. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Your sister's about to give birth!" Katherine exclaimed.

Elena grinned and stood up. "This is it, huh?" Both soon-to-be-parents nodded. "You guys are going to be great parents."

"I hope so," Elijah agreed.

"Well, good luck you guys," Sage said as she started walking to the door. "Everyone will be right outside." And then she exited. The team of nurses and the doctor entered almost a moment later, with the sounds of everyone cheering out in the hall following them.

...

"One more push, Katherine!" The doctor encouraged. "Your little girl is almost out!"

Katherine gave it all she had into one last push. She screamed at the top of her lungs, and squeezed both her husband's and her sister's hands. With all of her energy emerged into that last push, she collapsed against the pillow. The sounds of a newborn baby engulfed the room.

A newborn baby girl.

"Oh, she's beautiful," Elena admired breathlessly.

Elijah stared at his daughter with love. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe he helped create something so precious, so innocent.

"Hey, daddy, would you like to cut the cord?" The nurse asked. Elijah nodded eagerly, taking the tool from the nurse, cutting his daughter free.

He took her into his arms, and admired her even more. She was so tiny. Her little chest moved up and down, and Elijah could faintly hear the baby's quiet humming. "Oh, so you're going to be a singer, are you?" He whispered.

Katherine lazily slapped the back of her hand against his shoulder. "Can I see her?" Katherine was out of breath. Elijah couldn't believe she did that. She did great, and he couldn't believe she was about to do it again.

He nodded and gently set the baby in her mother's arms. Katherine smiled in a way that would make birds sing, not run and hide. The light that went off in her eyes was something Elijah knew would happen. He could see his wife changing into a mother right before his eyes, and it was almost as beautiful a sight as seeing his daughter for the first time.

"She's so beautiful," Katherine sang. She smiled up at her husband. "Look at what we did."

"You did great." He kissed the top of her head.

"Yes, you did, mama," one of the nurses smiled. "Now, your little boy wants to come join this beautiful family."

Katherine handed her daughter to one of the nurses so they can clean her.

Then it was time to deliver their son.

It was much easier this time because Katherine had already given birth, so she knew what to do and her body was warmed up. But Katherine was extremely exhausted, which is why it's a good thing that this time the birth was quicker.

Katherine was still in pain this time and continued screaming insults at Elijah, while crushing both his and Elena's hands in the process.

Finally, the cries of a second baby filled the room. The process was much smoother this time now that everyone had done it before. Elijah cut the umbilical cord off his son, and the nurses quickly cleaned of the child before handing both him and his sister back to his parents.

A pink blanket was handed to Elijah, while a blue blanket was handed to Katherine. Elijah stared at his son in amazement. He was just as beautiful as his sister.

Katherine looked at her son with a huge smile on her face. "Hi, handsome. You look just like your daddy."

"And you look just like your mother," Elijah decided to play along. He kissed the top of his daughter's forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, and she instantly shied away from the bright lights. But after she saw her father, she grinned a toothless grin. Elijah laughed and motioned for Katherine. "Look, she's smiling!"

Katherine grinned even wider, if that was even possible. "Definitely not my daughter," she teased. When she looked back down at her son, he was staring at her with wide, brown-gold eyes. Her finger gently touched his face, and he reached his hand up to grab her finger. She chuckled when she realized her son was not going to give her her finger back.

"They're both so adorable," Elena gushed. "Do you guys still feel like they're Hayden and Sophia?"

Katherine nodded. "Oh yeah. They look just like I dreamed they would." She snapped her head up. "Wow, that was cheesy." She smiled down at her son. "But I don't care."

One of the nurses came over with a clipboard. She helped Katherine and Elijah switch babies before she asked for their names.

"Hayden Kol Mikaelson," Elijah answered for their son.

"And Sophia Nadia Mikaelson," Katherine spoke for their daughter.

"Beautiful names," the nurse cooed. "Both babies are incredibly healthy. Sophia was born at 5:57A.M, 6.9lbs, 20in. Hayden; 6:10A.M, 7.1lbs, 21in. Congratulations," she smiled before setting the clipboard at the edge of the bed and leaving the room to give everyone some private time.

"May I hold her?" Elena asked.

Katherine looked up at her sister and nodded. She smiled as she handed her daughter to her sister. Elena's face was priceless, and Katherine was sure she looked even more dopey than her twin.

"Oh, she's perfect.." Elena cooed. "He is, too. They're both beautiful."

"Elena, would you mind taking Sophia outside? I think it's time for everyone else to meet her and Hayden," Elijah suggested.

Elena glanced down at her twin, who nodded. "Just bring them right back." Katherine was tired, she was most likely going to fall asleep while Elena and Elijah brought the twins out to meet their family. Their big, weird, dysfunctional family.

...

The doors opened and everyone stood. Boys gasped and girls awed when they saw the twins. Elijah held Hayden, and Elena held Sophia. Both babies were making gurgling noises. They observed their surroundings, but then made noises and closed their eyes again. Being born took a lot of energy out of those kids, no one could blame them for going back to sleep.

Those who waited for the arrival of Sophia and Hayden Mikaelson were Rebekah, Matt, Caroline, Klaus, Freya, Finn, Sage, Tate, Jeremy, Emma, Chris, Damon, Alaric, Jenna, and Katherine's parents. Bonnie would have been there, but she was waiting in Kol's room for him to wake up.

"Oh, Elijah," Rebekah said breathlessly. "They're beautiful."

"Everyone," Elijah announced. "Meet Sophia Nadia Mikaelson and Hayden Kol Mikaelson."

Rebekah almost broke down in tears when she heard the name Kol. Everyone did. Despite knowing that Kol _will _be alright, Elijah still named his son after his reckless younger brother. Everyone was touched.

Katherine's parents were eager to get their hands on their grandchildren, but Elijah and Elena both let Klaus and Rebekah hold the babies first, respectively.

"Hi, little Sophia," Rebekah smiled. "I'm your Auntie Bex and I'm going to spoil you. I love you so much."

Klaus stared in amazement at Hayden. He was afraid he was going to drop him, even though he had held Tate many times before. Caroline rested her chin over his shoulder and smiled down at the baby.

"He's so cute," she cooed.

Finn and Freya were next, followed by Jeremy and Jenna, then Katherine's parents, Damon and Alaric, Matt and Caroline, and then Sage and Elena again. Emma, Chris, and Tate wanted to hold the babies, but their parents all promised when the babies were a little bit older. Everyone agreed it'd be safer once the new family returned home and had comfortable, soft, cushion couches and plenty of pillows for young children to hold even smaller children. But all three children kissed each of their new cousins on the forehead, which made everyone's hearts melt.

"You did good, brother," Klaus clapped Elijah's back. "You have two magnificent children."

Elijah smiled as a thank you. He got everyone's attention again. "I also would like to announce the godparents.. It was a very difficult decision, because Katherine and I have so many wonderful friends and family members who we know would do anything for our children." He glanced at Elena who held Hayden with Jenna smiling over her shoulder, and Sage who held Sophia while Rebekah and Freya played with the child's hands. "We have decided on four godparents, two for Hayden, and two for Sophia. God forbid anything happen to either of us, we would like to leave Sophia in the hands of Klaus and Caroline."

Caroline squealed and clapped from her seat. Klaus stared at Elijah as if waiting for the _psych! _part of the joke. When Elijah didn't say anything more, Klaus managed a smile. He couldn't understand what he did to make his brother trust the life of his daughter with _him, _but he's glad he did it.

"And even though it's probably not reasonable to split up the children, but nothing is going to happen to either of us so this is really just excuses to get more presents." Everyone laughed. "Those were Katherine's words, not mine. Anyway, we would like to grant Elena and Damon the honor of being Hayden's godparents."

"Really?" Elena smiled down at her nephew/godson.

"Really," Elijah responded.

Damon smiled too. "Hey, 'Lena, let me see this little rascal again." Elena laughed and handed Hayden to Damon. The deputy grinned down at his godson. "I don't know what I did to earn your trust, but thank you."

Klaus chuckled, "I agree with you, Damon."

"You don't know what I did?" The brunette raised an eyebrow.

"No, I don't know what _I _did," Klaus clarified. Damon nodded in understanding.

"To be honest, it was probably all Elena and Caroline," Rebekah pointed out. "You two just happen to be married or will be married to them."

Caroline and Elena both laughed. Sage held Sophia for one last moment before handing her to her godmother. Caroline felt even happier holding the tiny baby this time around. "Sophia Nadia Mikaelson," the blonde began. "You are so loved. You will always be safe and cared for. Everyone in this room loves you and your brother so very much. Here is the start to a happy, safe, and healthy life where love is everywhere you turn."

...

Bonnie got a text from Caroline saying the twins were born and that they were incredibly beautiful. They were so tiny and precious, and Bonnie was sad she missed it. But Kol missed it, too. He missed the birth of his niece and nephew, and Bonnie felt it only fair she missed it too. She stared at Kol a little too long, which might start to be considered creepy. It's not like she believes the longer she stares at him, the quicker he'll wake up.

Okay, yes, that's what she's hoping.

"Oh, Kol." Bonnie sighed. She played with his fingers. "Please wake up. You're an uncle once again! Don't you want to meet the twins? Elijah named his son after you."

Nothing.

Bonnie wanted to throw something against the wall. It was nine o'clock in the morning, and he should have been awake. Maybe she's just anxious, but she just needs to hear his sexy, comforting voice, and see his loving brown eyes again. She missed his laugh, his kiss, his smile. She barely survived fifteen hours, how could she ever handle a lifetime?

Tears pooled around her eyes again, but she denied them access to fall. Her voice sounded desperate. "Kol. If you can hear me.. Wiggle your fingers, move you toes, do _something. _Please."

She leaned forward to kiss his forehead. She moved hair out of his face again, the warm air continued to blow it back so she constantly pushed it out of his face. She caressed his face while she admired how handsome he was. His face felt warm, almost hot. He was burning up. It was better than cooling down, she supposed.

Something touched her arm. She froze.

She looked down at her arm, and Kol's hand had moved from the bed to her wrist. His fingers started to wiggle, they moved tiny patterns on her skin. A gasp left his mouth as he took in air. Real air, not the hospital monitor machine air.

This time she let the happy tears fall down her face.

"Kol?"

His eyes slowly opened, and he reached his hand up to remove the wires from his body. His dark brown eyes landed on her, and a smile escaped his lips. "I'm not going anywhere, Bonnie. What were you all so worried about?"

Bonnie cried out in happiness, throwing her arms around him. She sobbed into his shoulder, burying her nose in his neck. She breathed in his scent. Despite being in the hospital for hours in a coma, he still managed to smell like _him. _Fresh cut grass, pumpkin, and vanilla. Not what you would expect, but he always smells so good, it made her nose hurt.

"I love you so much," she cried. "I was so worried," she caressed his face. "They said you'd make full recovery, but a part of me.. A very small part of me thought I lost you.."

Kol grinned cheekily. "You're never going to lose me. I'm unavoidable. You're stuck with me for all eternity."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Well, I hope so." She leaned down to kiss him. It was a quick yet passionate kiss. "I'm going to go get everyone," she jumped up. "Don't go anywhere."

"Where would I go?" He retorted.

She smiled and ran out the door.

...

After everyone came to visit Kol, he was feeling very tired. You come back from a coma and you're suddenly bombarded with balloons and pastries (which he did not complain about) and Doc McStuffin. Don't forget hugs. Lots and lots of hugs. And a bunch of declarations of love, mostly from Jeremy, which he claimed was just a bromance and was in no way trying to steal his ex's boyfriend.

He was even surprised when Caroline and Elena came in the room and gave him a hug. He then proceeded to tease Caroline about saving the day with a high heeled shoe, and she scoffed, "You're lucky you're in the hospital or else I'd hit _you_ in the head with my shoe."

"I guess no more declarations of love from you?" He joked.

"Oh, shush," she teased.

Kol was finally able to relax when the last of the people had left. _Peace, at last. _He closed his eyes.

A knock on the door interrupted his peace. He groaned. "Come in!" He called.

The door opened and in came Elijah.

"Brother, I just saw you-" Kol was cut short when he saw that Elijah didn't come alone. A smile erupted on his face.

Elijah came in with Sophia in one arm, Hayden in the other.

"I had to ask the nurses if it was okay for me to bring them down here, and they checked to make sure you were healthy enough to be near them. They also said you need to be careful holding them because of your shoulder. Oh, and Katherine threatened not to let you, or me, drop them, and to have them back in ten minutes."

Kol didn't care about the technicalities. He was glad he got to meet his niece and nephew. "They're so tiny," he laughed.

Elijah smiled and brought them closer to his brother. "Which one would you like to hold first?"

"My namesake, of course," Kol joked.

Elijah rolled his eyes but nonetheless handed his brother his son. Kol smiled down at his nephew. He was so tiny, Kol couldn't believe humans this small existed. Kol had been there for Rebekah's, Henrik's, and Tate's births, so you would have thought he'd be used to tiny children, but Kol's wonder and surprise each time never ceased to amaze even himself.

"Kol Jr, I like it," Kol grinned.

"His name is still Hayden," the older Mikaelson replied.

"I know, but that's not going to stop me from calling him Kol Jr."

Elijah chuckled. "You're despicable."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," Kol grinned.

Elijah sighed, "That I do, brother."

Kol admired Hayden for a few moments before asking to hold Sophia. Elijah obliged, and helped switch the twins. A small gasp left his mouth when he looked at his niece. Unlike her brother, Sophia was awake and gazing her brown eyes at everything. Her brown eyes were shining with light. When her gaze fell upon her uncle, she giggled. She did this every time someone new held her. She was only a few hours old, but she already loved all the attention she got. _Definitely Katherine's daughter, _Kol thought.

"She's so beautiful," Kol admired. "I guess we passed down all the good genes, huh?" He joked as he nudged his brother's knee with his elbow. A sharp pain erupted from his shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have moved it. But he didn't care.

"I think she looks just like her mother," Elijah admitted.

"Eh, Katherine's good looking, too. I suppose she does look like she-devil. Oh no, what if she does become like the demon?"

The older brunette rolled his eyes. "Do you even know who you are? I think with mine and Katherine's family combined, the twins have more of a chance of being lunatics than reserved."

"True," Kol agreed. He looked back down at the giggling baby and smiled. "I think she likes me."

Elijah smiled. "Yes, I think she does. She usually stops laughing after a few seconds, you're the longest she's smiled at for. Besides Caroline, and of course, Katherine."

"I bet Bex is excited to have a niece. She must be jumping off the walls. More dress up dolls. Oh god, do you remember when we were kids and Rebekah would trick us into being her dress up dolls and she put us in fashion shows? What a nightmare."

Elijah shuddered at the memory. "We really could have used another girl in the house. Then again, Freya hates dolls so Rebekah would have had to force her like she did us."

"Ah, our sister," Kol chuckled.

Elijah glanced at the clock. "I'm so sorry, brother, but I think it's time to cut the visit short. The twins are probably tired from being tossed and gawked at all day."

"I don't blame them. I'm gawked at all of the time, it's a very tiring hobby."

"What's a tiring hobby?" Bonnie asked as she poked her head in the room.

"Being attractive," Kol answered.

The brunette girl rolled her eyes. "You're so vain."

"I have a reason to be. Look at me," he grinned.

Bonnie walked over to her boyfriend's bed. She smiled down at Sophia.

"May I hold her?" She asked Elijah. He nodded. Kol handed his niece to his girlfriend. "She's so precious.. I remember how I felt when Emma was born. I know exactly how you and Katherine must feel."

"Yes, it's a wonderful feeling," Elijah agreed.

"I can help you take the twins back?" She suggested. "And let this one," she motioned to Kol, "get some rest."

"That would be great," Elijah responded. He looked down at his brother. "I'll see you soon, brother." And then he leaned down to hug Kol, being careful not to squish Hayden in the process. Kol was surprised by the hug. He and his siblings were never really the touchy-feely type. He would have hugged back, but his shoulders hurt too much to attempt. "I love you, brother," Elijah whispered.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**Oh my god, I never thought I'd get this done. This took freaking forever. Anyway.. Did you _really _think I'd kill my husband off? I could never do that. Ever.**

**So the twins are finally born! What do you guys think of Elijah giving his son the middle name of Kol? I am so upset we never got much Kol x Elijah interaction in the show, I treasure their relationship for some reason. Kolijah is something I need in my life. And Rebekol, and Klol, and Kennett, and Keremy, and Kolvina. Just Kol in general.**

**Anyway, please excuse my inaccuracies with hospital-like things. I don't know what the equipment is called nor do I know how much time bones actually take to heal. This is just a story, so it doesn't need to be accurate. But if I'm really far off, please look past it, haha.**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! I told you it was more happy than not! And I'm sorry for the lack of Klaroline, it will be made up for next chapter. Speaking of next chapter.. We'll be doing a time jump! The Mabekah wedding is in two chapters (finally) so what does this mean for next chapter? The Originals' characters start arriving. Who will make an appearance first?**

**Review to find out! Again, I want to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed. 100 reviews is a great accomplishment! I once wrote a fanfic (which I have since deleted so I have no proof, but I swear it happened) where I reached 1000 reviews and it was awesome. Maybe if I keep this story going long enough, I'll get there? Anyway, please review your thoughts, and until next time :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! I update less than a week later once again, what is going on? Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this chapter _for the most part.. _I apologize ahead of time if my writing becomes sloppy and disconnected towards the end. Then again, no one ever really likes what _they _wrote themselves, so hopefully you guys like the chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own these characters.. Unless they're under the age of ten..**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bonnie fussed as she helped her boyfriend out of the car.

Kol chuckled. "Yes, darling, I'm fine!"

"Rebekah said you can rest at home-"

"I am completely fine. There's no way I'm missing my baby sister's wedding rehearsal," he insisted. It was two days before Rebekah and Matt's long awaited wedding. Today wasn't necessarily a _rehearsal, _just those who were in the wedding party practicing walking down the aisle. Okay, maybe that _is _what a rehearsal is. Tomorrow is going to be a small dinner with all of their friends, a way to bring the past to meet the present without dozens of coworkers and neighbors that Rebekah and Matt invited to the reception just to be polite. And then after the dinner, the girls are taking Rebekah to her bachelorette party, while the guys take Matt to his bachelor party.

Bonnie sighed. "As long as you're fine."

"Bon.. My accident was six weeks ago. I can walk on my own." The accident happened on November 10th, exactly six weeks from today, December 22nd. Kol and Bonnie actually just returned from the doctor's office, where he cleared Kol of being on crutches. His shoulders and legs made astounding recovery, but his foot still needs a little more time to heal. He has a giant cast on his left foot, but he claims it's comfortable to walk in. He doesn't want crutches. He doesn't need them. The pain in foot is nonexistent, the cast keeping his foot mobilized as he walks. He can't feel a thing, and that's why he can walk.

"I know, I just.." Bonnie trailed off. Kol grinned down at her.

"You are adorable when you're worried about me, did you know that?"

She rolled her eyes but nonetheless smiled the smile that Kol falls in love with everyday. "I just love you so much."

Kol kissed her forehead and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. "I love you, too, darling."

She wrapped her arms around his torso, and they walked together. Within a minute, they reached the ballroom-type area when they would be practicing walking down the aisle.

Not like most of them _need_ to know how. Half of the people in the wedding party have already gotten married themselves, and the rest have been a bridesmaid or a groomsmen at least once before. But Rebekah still wants everyone to get comfortable with their partner. And she wants to announce the brother she chose to walk her down the aisle.

"Hey guys!" Caroline exclaimed when she saw her best friend and her boyfriend enter the ballroom.

Bonnie smiled over at her best friend. "Hey, Care."

"Great, tweedle dumb and tweedle judgy are here," Katherine joked. "Now, we need the horror bride and the pitiful groom."

"Bekah and Matt still aren't here yet?" Kol asked. He looked around the room, and sure enough everyone was here except the bride and groom.

"We're here!" Matt announced when him and his fiancé entered the room. "Sorry we're late, but Rebekah wanted to make a grand enterance."

"Oh shush," the blonde nudged him. She grinned at everyone. When she noticed someone missing, her smile faltered. "We're missing Hayley. We can't start without the maid of honor."

"No offense, but I still don't think she exists. It's hard to believe you have a friend," Sage teased.

Rebekah turned to glare at her sister-in-law. When she saw her eldest brother laughing, she shot a glare at him too.

"When did her plane land?" April asked.

"Last night. I haven't had a chance to see her, yet. I hope she found the place okay."

Elijah shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was a bit nervous about seeing Hayley again. Sure, they didn't date very long, but he did have strong feelings for her. He's just as uncomfortable seeing Tatia and Gia, but at least there'll be a bigger crowd when he sees them.

Klaus, on the other hand, was enjoying his brother's misery in seeing his ex-girlfriend. Yeah, him and Hayley might have hooked up once, but Klaus never felt anything for the brunette. She annoyed him most of the time, and he sometimes wondered exactly how many drinks it took to sleep with her.

The awkward thing about that little "love triangle" was that Elijah caught Hayley sneaking out of Klaus's room one night, and then began dating her almost a week later.

The hilarious thing about the entire situation was how pissed off Rebekah got when she found out two of her brothers fancied her best friend. Okay, well _fancy_ definitely is not the word Klaus would use to describe his relationship with Hayley. If you could even call it that.

"This is a small town, she can't get lost," Damon shrugged.

A knock on the door interrupted everyone's conversations. The door slightly opened and in came a tall brunette with deep green eyes. Her hair was slightly curly, falling around her face in a halo.

Hayley Marshall.

"Hayley!" Rebekah squealed. She ran to her friend and tackled her in a hug. Hayley squealed too and almost crushed the blonde in her embrace.

"Rebekah! I missed you so much," she whispered into her friend's hair. "I'm so sorry I lost touch-"

"It's okay," Rebekah pulled out of the hug. "You're here now." The two friends shared a quick smile.

Hayley glanced at the Mikaelson brothers, all of which were now standing, looking at her. She moved her hand in a quick gesture, as if waving a greeting. She wasn't sure she felt comfortable hugging all of them with such a big audience. She locked eyes with Klaus, and her heart was hit with a pang of regret and guilt. He smirked at her, but she had to look away immediately. Her eyes then fell upon Elijah. A smile crept onto her face. He returned her smile. His anxiety melted away.

"So, you're the famous Hayley," a sassy brunette said from beside Elijah. Hayley turned her attention to the woman. She was standing next to Elijah in a protective way. The way she held herself, the way she looked at Elijah for that quick second, Hayley could tell that this woman was in a romantic relationship with him. Hayley had to admit, the woman was beautiful. She could only hope Elijah was happy, and she had no doubt that he was.

"I guess so," she shrugged sheepishly. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Matt smiled.

"Shall we get this rehearsal going?" Another brunette, who looked identical to the first one, spoke.

"Oh yeah," Hayley said. "How long do you think this will be? I have someone waiting in the hall, and I don't want to be too long.."

"I don't know, not too long. Maybe about ten or fifteen minutes," Matt responded.

Hayley breathed. "Okay. That's good."

"Who do you have waiting?" A blonde who stood next to Klaus asked, curiousity written across her features.

"Oh, no one," Hayley lied. "I have my boyfriend Jackson with me.." _And my daughter, _she added in her head.

"Jackson can come in and wait, if he wants," Rebekah suggested.

"No thank you," Klaus said. "I never liked that kid. I can't believe you ended up with him."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Well, he's not a kid, anymore. You wouldn't know since you haven't seen him since, well, you yourself was a kid."

Klaus scoffed. "People only get more annoying and high-mighty with age."

"Speak for yourself."

Everyone looked between Klaus and Hayley with amused faces. Their banters were always something worth watching. They disagreed on just about everything, it was a wonder they even got along. Most of the time they didn't, actually.

"Wasn't Jackson the guy who made it his life goal to marry you?" Kol broke the awkward silence.

"Yes," Hayley nodded. "But we're not getting married."

"Well, that's lovely information," Rebekah said sarcastically. "Now, can we get going with this rehearsal because Matt and I have to check up on everything- we have a lot to do in two days-" Matt gently rubbed her back to prevent her from having a mental breakdown. She leaned back against him.

Everyone nodded.

"I thought you'd never ask," Kol grinned.

Rebekah took a deep breath and stood up straight, removing herself from Matt's warmth and safety.

"First off.. We have Hayley as the maid of honor and Jeremy as the best man," she announced.

"You two will actually be walking last, right before Rebekah," Matt added.

"The first pair to walk down is Elena and Tyler, because they're Matt's other two best friends," Rebekah continued.

"But before them, we actually need Emma to be the flower girl," Matt said, gesturing to his friends' daughter. Emma hopped over to Matt and Rebekah with a grin on her face. Her purple dress danced with every step, and her braids jumped around. Everyone laughed.

"I'm the flower girl!" She squealed. "What does the flower girl do again?" This was her first time being a flower girl, and as you can tell, she's very excited.

Matt handed her a basket with rose petals in it. "You walk down the aisle and drop the flowers on the ground."

"That's it?" She asked, scrunching up her nose.

"Basically, yeah," Matt answered.

"Oh. Cool!"

Rebekah grinned and gave the little girl a small push. "Now, go line up. And don't drop the flowers yet!" There wasn't a lot of flowers in the basket as this was just a rehearsal, but she still needed some to practice. They were going to line up and then they'd walk down and practice.

Emma skipped over to where her father was standing on the other side of the room. That was where they were lining up.

"And then Christian and Tate," Matt geturing to the two little boys who were playing with firetrucks in the corner. Hearing their names, blurs of red and black looked up. "Chris will be bringing me my ring, while Tate brings Rebekah hers."

"But they will actually stand at the beginning of the line, in front of Elena and Tyler respectively, and then once we're done giving the vows- well, you know how all that will go," Rebekah added.

"Do we go stand up there now?" Chris asked his "Uncle" Matt. The blonde adult chuckled and nodded.

"Come on, Tate," Chris said to the boy with flaming red hair.

"Are we giving the rings now?" Tate asked as he stood up. The two little boys ran to Emma.

"Not yet, sweetie," Sage said to her son.

"Here," Jeremy took out two coins. "You can give those to Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Matt during the rehearsal."

The two boys took the coins, and Tate stepped back. He wanted to give the coin to his Aunt Rebekah now. Chris, who was older, knew that it wasn't the time. He grabbed his friend's elbow and pulled him back in line.

"Not yet, Tate!" Chris said. "We're in line first."

Emma turned around. "Yeah, boys. Don't mess up my moment."

Chris was confused. "But I just said-"

The adults couldn't help but laugh at the scene between the children.

"They're so cute," Hayley admired.

"Aren't they?" Rebekah smiled. "Okay, now Elena and Tyler," she ordered. Elena and Tyler laughed and stood behind the children. "Now.. We have my brothers. You guys will be lined up by age, and obviously walking down with your wife/fiancé/girlfriend. But-"

"But one of us is walking you down the aisle," Finn guessed.

Rebekah nodded. "And whoever that is, their partner will walk down with either Stefan or Damon.. Depending on who it is because half of them prefer Stefan and the other half prefer Damon."

"Damon," Bonnie and Sage raised their hand while Caroline and Katherine said, "Stefan."

Damon and Stefan gave each other a weird look from their place in the corner.

"And then the remaining Salvatore brother walks down with my lovely sister," Rebekah smiled at Freya, who sat on a table dangling her feet back and forth. Hearing her cue, she snapped her head up and shot a shy smile at her sister.

"Uhm, what..?" Hayley whispered.

Rebekah's eyes widen and hissed, "Oh god, I'll tell you later!" Her friend nodded, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Okay, so now is the moment of truth."

"What moment of truth, I am so confused," Damon muttered.

"She's announcing who's walking her down the aisle, stupid," Caroline snapped.

"Blondie, don't use that tone of voice with me."

"God, you replaced my mom as the sheriff, not my mother!"

"Shut up, both of you," Rebekah barked.

"Rebekah, it's honestly not that big of a deal," Elijah assured his sister.

"Yeah, like we told you months ago, we don't care who you choose," Klaus added. Kol and Finn nodded in agreement.

"I know you said you guys don't care, but I know that deep down you do. I-"

"Oh, just get on with it already!" Katherine groaned.

"Should I do a drumrole?" Tyler suggested.

"No," Rebekah stated. "Okay.. But, I mean you're all still giving me away," seeing the impatient looks on everyone's faces, she stopped stalling. "Okay, the brother I chose to walk me down the aisle is... Elijah."

"I knew it," Kol murmured.

A huge smile plastered across Elijah's face. He honestly wasn't expecting this honor of walking his sister down the aisle. He remembered the day she was born and how he vowed to always protect her. He loved her so much, and a selfish part of him was glad he could experience this with her. Just him.

"Thank you, Rebekah. I know this must have been a difficult decision-"

"Yeah, yeah, get your ass up here," she motioned for him to come stand beside her. "Now Finn and Sage, Klaus and Caroline, and Kol and Bonnie line up."

Those six people did what they were told before the devil blonde bit their heads off.

"I want to walk down with Stefan!" Katherine raised her hand.

"Oh, god please no," Stefan begged. "Rebekah, if you love me, you won't stick me with her."

Rebekah grinned evily. "I'm terribly sorry, Stefan."

The younger Salvatore hung his head. Katherine laughed.

"Fine. I don't know what I did to deserve this," he said somewhat teasingly as he walked to the end of the line.

Katherine stood beside him and punched his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Thank you god for not sticking me with the she-devil," Damon spoke up.

"I left my son in your hands, don't make me change my mind," she lowered her gaze.

At the mention of Hayden, Damon immediately shut up. The little boy was only six weeks old, but Damon loved his godson to bits.

The newly appointed Sheriff of Mystic Falls turned to the youngest Mikaelson sibling. Her blonde hair fell across her face as she tried to blow it away. He held out his elbow for her to take. "I guess you're stuck with me," he smiled at her.

She pushed his arm away. "I don't need an escort." She jumped down from the table and walked to the end of the line.

"Well then," he muttered as he stood beside her in line.

Hayley couldn't help but laugh at all of the banters between everyone. And the new Mikaelson sister was just like her siblings, Hayley couldn't help but smile.

"So now we have Hayley and Jeremy-" Rebekah started but was interrupted by a small voice.

"Mama?"

Everyonce turned their heads, and there was a young girl, about eight years old, poking her head around the door inside the ballroom. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in pigtails, her blue-green eyes searching for her mother. When her eyes landed on Hayley, she grinned. "I found you!" She ran into the room, hugging her mother's legs. She looked around at all of the other people and smiled sheepishly. "Hi!" she waved, before hiding behind her mother again.

Hayley mentally groaned. She hadn't meant for her daughter to make an appearance _now_. Everyone in the room was staring at her and her daughter. Elijah and Klaus especially.

"You have a daughter?" Elijah asked.

Hayley ignored him. She leaned down to face her daughter. "Where's Jackson? Why isn't he watching you?"

"I ran away from him," the little girl giggled.

"Don't do that. Okay, mommy was busy.. She doesn't.." Hayley trailed off.

Klaus was staring at the little girl. He knew it was impossible, but she looked just like him. Her hair was dirty blonde, she was shy just like he had been as a child, and she had the same smirk he does. Her eyes glimmered with the hint of the devil, which she no doubtedly got from her father. Her eyes were a mix of blue and green. Blue from her father, green from her mother. Her skin was lightly tanned, thanks to her mother being tanner than most people born in New Orleans.

Klaus felt drawn to her. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help but wonder.. No, it's impossible. Well, actually, no it's not. He _did_ sleep with Hayley. He moved away a few months later. She could have kept it a secret, and by the time she was showing, he was long gone.

Oh god. It wasn't Davina, was it? It was Hayley.

"Hayley?" Klaus's voice cracked. Caroline glanced at him. She wondered why he was staring at Hayley and her daughter with such facination. Then it clicked.

Caroline felt her heart drop to the floor.

"Klaus, not now," Hayley snapped.

"How old is she?"

"I said, _not now,_" the brunette growled. She tried to lead her daughter out the door.

"Hey kid!" He exclaimed. The little girl turned her head around. "How old are you?"

"Hope, don't answer him. Go find Jackson," Hayley warned.

"How old are you?" Klaus asked again.

"I'm eight!" Hope shouted. Klaus gasped.

Rebekah's eyes darted to the floor. She saw pictures of Hayley and Hope online. She had her suspisions, but she wasn't sure. Now, it all made sense.

Kol stared at Hayley and Hope and then looked back at his brother. A laugh escaped his lips. "Oh my god. It wasn't Davina, was it? It was you?"

"Davina was never pregnant, Kol," Hayley shook her head. "She was scared and she didn't want to lose you.. Your mother scared her. She knew about me.. She told me what Esther threatened.. I couldn't.. And that's why I never said anything.." Hayley's voice was barely audible. She couldn't put together her thoughts. Her words were all strings, all disconnected. This was not how she planned to tell this story. She was put under pressure, and her words just wouldn't form together.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Is that my daughter?" Klaus found his voice.

Everyone in the room was too shocked to even think. Caroline glanced between her fiancé and this new girl. They were together? They might have a kid?

Hope stared at Klaus. "I don't have a dad.." She looked back up at her mother. "You told me my dad was dead!"

Klaus stepped closer to Hayley and Hope. "Is this my daughter?" He asked one more time.

Hayley looked from Klaus to the blonde, who seemed like Klaus's girlfriend, to Rebekah to Elijah back to her daughter. She closed her eyes and loosened her grip on her daughter.

Her green eyes opened and she looked at her one night stand from almost nine years ago. The worst mistake she ever made, yet he gave her the greatest gift she could ever ask for.

She slowly nodded. Klaus took a step back. Hope jumped away from her mom.

Hayley didn't want the news to be let out like this. Not in front of all of these people. But she had no choice.

"Yes, Klaus. Hope is your daughter."

...

Klaus sat beside the little girl on the rocks. After hearing that her father was alive afterall, that her mother lied to her her whole life, Hope ran out the door. Hayley freaked out, but Klaus said he could take care of it. She warned him that their daughter wasn't the kindest when she was upset. He shook his head. He wanted to speak with her. He had to.

That was his daughter. He had a child, one that he never knew about. That was his biggest fear.

He hated Hayley for keeping this from him. He hated her for making him a father.

He hated himself for not using the bloody condom.

But he couldn't erase the facts. He had a child. He was scared out of his mind, but he was not going to let this little girl grow up without a father. He already missed eight years. He wasn't going to miss anymore.

He surprised himself at how much he wanted to be in her life. He guesses its because his father was so horrible, and if his birth dad could have done anything about it, Klaus wished more than ever that he would have. But he couldn't. He wanted to save Hope from growing up without a father. He couldn't save himself from growing up with an abusive father. He vowed he'd never be like Mikael. He was going to be the father he wish he had.

He wanted to get to know Hope. It was like a magnetic pull. He _had_ to know her.

The only thing holding him back was what Caroline would think. But that was a matter for a different time.

"I knew you'd be here."

Hope sniffled and rubbed her nose with her sleeve. She turned her head to avoid looking at the man who claims to be her father. Well, he doesn't necessarily claim to be her father. Her mother admitted to lying to her all of these years. Every time Hope asked what happened to her father, why she was the only little girl at daycare and then at school without a father, her mother would grow quiet, say that they weren't supposed to mention him. And then finally Hayley snapped and said he died. Now Hope realizes it was probably just to get her to shut up.

It's not like Hope was completely lacking a father figure. Her mother started dating Jackson last year, and she's known her mother's friends her whole life. After the Mikaelsons moved away, their friends became a tiny family to help Hayley raise Hope.

But she knew Jackson wasn't her father. He tried to be, Hayley wanted him to be, he wanted to be, and he tried. But Hope didn't believe it. She couldn't.

Looking at Klaus.. She was young, but she still understood things. She understood that she looked a lot like this man. She felt a magnetic pull to him. She knew in her heart that this was her father.

"Hope.." Klaus started. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" She turned her head towards him. Her voice was small. She was scared of saying the wrong thing. She didn't want him to find her stupid or silly and not want to know her. She wanted him to care. "You didn't know about me."

"I'm just sorry. For anything I need to be sorry for."

"It's okay."

Klaus thought for a moment on his next words. "I know this must be.. Very surprising. I mean, I never would have expected this."

Hope stared at him.

"I'm scared," he admitted.

"Me too."

"Why are you scared?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know you," she answered.

He nodded. "But how about you get to know me? As scared as I am about all of this.. You're my daughter and I am not going to abandon you. I've been abandoned. It doesn't feel too good. I would like to get to know you. Your birthday, your favorite color, your favorite food, whether you like art.. I just can't let you leave this town without spending a day with you."

A smile stretched across the eight year old's face. "You want to know me?"

He nodded, placing his hand above hers. "I very much would like to."

She giggled and clapped. That was all she needed to hear. She was going to have a father after all. "Okay! Well my birthday is December 2nd, so I just turned eight, my favorite color is red, my favorite food is apples and pasta, and I love art! I love drawing and painting, it's my favorite thing to do. I love to draw horses, I'm really good at them! Want to see?"

Klaus chuckled and nodded. "I would love to."

Hope grinned and jumped up. She grabbed Klaus's hands, attempting to pull him up. Then she hopped across the rocks, leading Klaus back inside the building.

The duo appeared back in the ballroom. Hayley smiled when she saw them.

"Are you okay?" She asked her daughter.

Hope scowled. "I'm still mad at you, mama. But can I have the keys? I want to show daddy my drawings!"

Klaus's heart leaped at the word _daddy_. She was so quick to define him in her life, and Klaus admired that. He could never be so quick to define anyone.

Hayley glanced from Hope to Klaus, and her heart fell when she noticed them holding hands.

Seeing Hayley speechless made Klaus smirk. Deciding to add to her misery, he said, "By the way, I would love to get to know _my_ daughter. We should plan on trips back and forth from the U.K and here, or better yet, you guys can just move. Or she can stay with me for a while."

"Klaus-"

"No, Hayley. You kept my daughter from me for eight years."

"I know and I'm sorry, but it wasn't safe-"

"I don't really care. I've met her now, and you can't take her from me."

"And I'm not going to!" She practically screamed. Everyone turned their heads towards them. She lowered her voice. "Okay fine. I knew this was coming. I don't really have a job, or anything back for me back home. It wouldn't be difficult to pack up and move, if it wasn't for Hope's school. We can discuss this more later on, I am here for a month. You can get to know her, I promise."

Klaus nodded. He saw Caroline step towards them and he shot her a smile. She smiled back.

Hayley took out her keys. "You can show him your drawings, but come right back, we have a rehearsal to do." She handed Klaus the keys. "She can show you where the car is."

Hope nodded, grinning.

Caroline reached Klaus. "She draws, too?" Her voice was warm and soft like summer rain. She was smiling at the little girl. She really does look just like Klaus. And she drew? Klaus was the best artist Caroline had ever seen. She knew that the eight year old's drawing were probably magnificent.

"You're really pretty!" Hope exclaimed.

Klaus chuckled and Caroline smiled.

"Why, thank you," Caroline said. Her hand rested above her heart, touched by the little girl's sincerity.

"Hope.. I would like you to meet Caroline, the love of my life."

Hope grinned. She looked at Caroline and saw she wasn't just beautiful, but she looked just like a princess. She knew enough about fairytales to know that _love of my life_ is just like true love. Seeing the way Klaus and Caroline looked at each other, even if was just for a quick moment, Hope was able to pick up on the electric fire that burned through their veins. The small blonde was a hopeless romantic, and in love with the idea of love. She wanted to grow up only to find a prince. She already loved Caroline, because she made her father happy.

"Are you guys married?" The young girl asked.

"Not yet," Caroline said. She showed the little girl her left hand, where her engagement ring rested on her ring finger.

Hope gasped. "Pretty!"

Klaus and Caroline both laughed.

"Caroline, would you like to come see my drawings with daddy and me?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, Caroline," Klaus imitated a child's voice. "Come with us."

Caroline pretended to be annoyed. "Okay, fine."

"Yay!" Hope reached for Caroline's hand with her free hand. With both Caroline and Klaus holding her hands, she pulled them out to the car.

...

To say the least, Hope's drawings were truly beautiful. Neither Klaus nor Caroline could believe an eight year old could hold that much talent.

When they returned to the ballroom, Rebekah and Matt announced that Hope can join Emma as the flower girl if she would like. Emma smiled at the older girl, excited for a new friend. Hope nodded, agreeing that it sounded like fun.

They practiced walking down the aisle, and everyone was pretty comfortable after the first try. The children got along with Hope right away, and they even had a rose petal fight. Caroline almost had a mental breakdown with the mess.

"So.. You and Klaus?" Tyler slid up next to Hayley where she sat on the table, eating the refreshments.

"Hi Lockwood!" She grinned, pulling her friend into a hug. Remember how Tyler was in Florida for five years? Hayley was down there for a year in college and became really good friends with him. Never in a million years did either of them think they'd be in the same place again, let alone Mystic Falls. Let alone in this situation. It was hilarious, at least to Tyler.

"And get this.. You see Caroline, Klaus's fiancé?" Hayley nodded. "That's _the_ Caroline I was engaged to."

"Oh no," she broke out laughing. "That's hilarious! Oh my god."

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. Who would have thought that his ex-fiancé and her baby daddy would have gotten together as some type of fairytale. If you would have told Tyler and Hayley this three years ago, they would have laughed and thought _the world ain't that small. _But the world _is _that small. At least to someone from Mystic Falls.

"So, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm good. I returned back here after my dad died, to help my mom with bills and stuff."

"I'm sorry about you dad, I didn't know."

"It's okay. And, uh, well, I'm dating this girl named Liv. She's great." A giddy smile appeared on Tyler's lips as he thought about his tough, brave, witty, sarcastic, beautiful girlfriend. He can't wait for her to be his date to the wedding.

"Aww, that's awesome Ty! I'm happy for you. You were always moping around in Florida."

He gently pushed her shoulder. "Oh, shut up. What about you? You complained about Jackson never giving you breathing space, now you're dating him?"

"He wore me down. And I didn't _complain_ about him. He was just so.. I don't know. He cared about me and the baby way too much. I needed some space. So I took that year in Florida. I came back and realized how much I missed him. It surprised me, honestly. He's always been one of my closest friends, and over time I guess I just fell in love with him."

"Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." They smiled at each other.

Meanwhile, across the room stood Klaus and Caroline. They just sent Hope off to play with Emma, who was excited for there to be another girl to play with, as Sophia was still only a baby. Klaus was grateful for how kind Caroline was to Hope, and how his daughter fell instantly in love with the goddess just like he did. Caroline was exceptional with kids, and it made him love her even more. But despite how excepting she acted, he still worried she was upset or angry for this sudden drastic change in their lives.

Caroline turned to her fiancé with a grin on her face. "She's so cute," she said dreamily. "She's just like you. Only nice," she teased.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I was actually a very sweet and shy child. Until, you know, my father crushed my dreams."

He said it as a joke, but Caroline's smile still fell.

"I stayed shy, but I became very.. Rude, I guess. I wasn't the sweet boy of the family anymore."

Caroline rested her hand on his shoulder and gently massaged it. "I'm sorry. Is this why you want to be part of her life? Because your birth father never claimed you?"

Klaus shrugged. "Pretty much." He thought for a moment. "I'm not good with kids. Fatherhood is very intimidating to me," he admitted. "What if I'm just like Mikael?"

Caroline eagerly shook her head. "You are _not _like Mikael. And you are great with kids, look how easily Hope warmed up to you! You are not like your stepfather: you do not have it in you to hurt a child."

Klaus nodded numbly. "I just worry.. I guess any person who had a scarring childhood like me would."

"It's completely understandable," she agreed.

"I just feel drawn to her. I can't leave her. Not again."

The bubbly blonde nodded. "Well, you technically didn't _leave _her, you didn't know about her. But I totally see what you're saying. And I will support you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You will?" He wasn't _shocked _by her answer. He couldn't describe how he felt. But he was _thankful _nonetheless.

"Every step of the way."

A smile stretched the corners of the stubborn blonde's lips.

"And plus.." Caroline grinned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, securing her hands at the nape of his neck. "It'll give us experience for when we have a kid of our own."

Klaus looked down at her. This time he _was _shocked.

"You want kids? With me?" He asked. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Of course I do, silly," she kissed his nose. "I've always wanted to have kids. I love them. My two best friends are great mothers and they seem incredibly happy, and it always reminds me how badly I want that. And I want it with _you. _Maybe not now; I'm still in medical school, and we still have a wedding to plan. But I'm graduating this spring, and I'd obviously liked to work a bit before I become a mother, but I'm working with kids anyway, and also I don't want to have kids _too late _in life because that can cause-"

"I get it, love." Klaus smiled at the little pout on her face when he interrupted her. He kissed the side of her mouth, which turned her frown into a giggle. "Whenever you're ready, or not ready, I'll be too."

"Let's see where your kid takes us, and we'll go from there."

"You want to be a part of her life?"

"Duh. Oh my god, do you think I look like a wicked stepmother?"

Klaus chuckled. "No, of course not," he assured her. "You look like a fairy godmother."

"Okay, let's not get into fairytales because something tells me we've been compared to them enough already."

"I agree." He hugged her closer, snuggling his nose into her neck. He breathed in her scent. She smelled delicious. He could breathe her in all day. But there was one thing he wished to do more. He pulled away from her neck, bringing his lips up to her ear. "May I be a dork and ask you a question?" he whispered, his breath on her ear sending shivers down her spine. She nodded. "Can I kiss you?"

A laugh escaped her lips, and he placed his face in front of hers to read her expression. He never has to ask to kiss her. The answer will always be yes. But there was something sexy in the way he asked. She loved when he asked her basic questions of consent. Of anything, really. She glanced from his blue eyes to his lips, then back to his eyes again. His eyes were a perfect shade of blue, and she was always able to tell what they were saying without words. To other people, Klaus might seem put off and rude, but she was always able to see through him. His eyes were like an open book, one that she was only able to read, and one that she will keep forever and reread time and time again. She has analyzed that book, she knows every quirk, every mistake, every laugh and smile. It was her favorite book.

But if there was one thing she loved more than rereading her favorite book, it was kissing. Kissing him.

She didn't even need to answer his question before she closed the space between their lips.

...

"There she is!" A male voice exclaimed.

Rebekah turned around from where she stood with Matt in the lobby, and when she saw who was walking towards her, she smiled. The man was tall with dark skin and a charming smile. "Marcel!" She squealed, running to meet him. She wrapped her arms around him, and he gently lifted her in the air for a second before setting her back down.

"Hey Beks," he whispered in her ear. They pulled away from the hug and smiled. "I've missed you," he poked her side.

"I've missed you, too. I'm so glad you came!"

Today was the day before Rebekah and Matt's wedding. Around this time tomorrow, they'll both be able to say they were married. It was only four in the evening, and they planned a small rehearsal dinner with their old friends and their new friends. All of the Mikaelsons' friends from London were in town by now. It can give the Mikaelsons a chance to reconnect with those they grew up with, and for their new friends to feel comfortable around them. By the time the wedding reception rolls around tomorrow, everyone should be great friends. Rebekah was just excited to see her old friends again, and to bring everyone together.

"Well, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Although, I'll admit, I am a bit heartbroken and jealous, but anything to make my girl happy," he teased.

"Oh, shut up!" She hit his shoulder.

A blonde woman appeared over Marcel's shoulder and the bride-to-be instantly recognized her.

"Cami!" The two girls shared a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Well, we wouldn't miss it," the woman, Camille, smiled.

"We?" Rebekah raised her eyebrow.

Marcel and Camille linked hands and a light went off in Rebekah's head. Her mouth formed an 'o'.

"Plot twist," she muttered. She shook her head and changed the subject. "Have you guys seen Nik, yet?"

"No, we haven't," Cami said sadly. "I haven't seen him in forever. Elijah, too."

"By the way, how's Klaus holding up with the Hayley and Hope thing?" Marcel asked.

Rebekah shrugged. "Surprisingly well."

"That's good!" Cami grinned. "I'm sure he'll make a great father."

"Oh, you always saw the good in my dear brother. I'm not sure who got it from who," a new voice rang through the entrance.

"Elijah!" Cami exclaimed, running to her best friend and hugging him.

"Oh, hello there," a female voice snapped from the hallway. "A little help here, Elijah."

Elijah broke away from his hug with Camille, and ran to his wife's aid. She was holding both baby carriers, plus a diaper bag on her shoulder. He picked up his daughter's carrier, turning to Camille and Marcel with a grin on his face.

"Marcel, Cami, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Katherine, and our newborn twins, Sophia and Hayden."

Katherine waved sarcastically because she knew the attention would fall on the twins.

Camille gasped. "Oh, they're precious!" She peeked into Sophia's carrier, and the baby smiled and lifted her hand when she saw a new person. "She's beautiful."

Marcel waved to Katherine. "Nice to meet you."

Katherine smiled. "You too." She turned to her husband. "I know you might want to catch up, but can you help me get seated first- I'm freaking tired of standing."

Elijah nodded. "Of course." He told his friends, "I'll be right back."

As soon as Elijah had left, Matt took his place. Rebekah smiled as she introduced her two friends to the man she'd be marrying tomorrow. Marcel and Matt had an awkward introduction, as Marcel used to date Rebekah, but the weirdness quickly went away and they hit it off.

Over the next twenty minutes, more people arrived, more reunions were celebrated, and more introductions were made. The crew from London fell in quickly with the gang from Mystic Falls. People who became fast friends included: Jackson and Stefan (who bonded over their amazing hair), Josh and Caroline, Marcel and Damon, Gia and Elena, Hayley and Katherine, Sage and Vincent, and April and Camille.

And then there was that one reunion that was long overdue.

"Oh god," Kol turned his head when he saw _her _enter the dining room. He tried to slide down in his chair, but Bonnie shot him a look like _what the hell are you doing? _He laughed and lied, "I dropped my fork."

"It's right there.." She said confused as she picked up the fork next to his plate.

He slapped his head. "Oh, right. Silly me."

"You're so weird sometimes," she laughed.

"Kol bloody Mikaelson!" A voice he hadn't heard in years broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up and his best buddy Kaleb was walking over to his table, a grin on his face.

Kol stood up to greet his friend. "Kaleb bloody Westphall! How are you?"

"I'm good," he smiled. "I just can't believe I haven't seen you in almost ten years. It feels like forever, yet at the same time it also feels like just yesterday that you left."

Kol nodded sadly. "I couldn't agree more. But I'm glad I got to see you-"

"Woah, what happened to your foot?" Kaleb interrupted once he saw the giant cast on Kol's left foot.

"Oh.." Kol's smile faltered. "I was in an accident last month."

"Oh no, how serious?" Kaleb was genuinely concerned for his old friend. They used to joke around a lot, but they also managed to get many injuries. He knew how badly they could get hurt, and he doubted his friend got any more graceful with age.

"I was sort of in a coma.."

"Dude, you need to be more careful! What happened?"

"A drunk driver hit me, it's not like it was my fault," Kol defended himself.

"Well, still," Kaleb shrugged. "But I'm glad you're okay. I wasn't going to travel all of this way to see you and have you be dead."

"Hey, it's going to take a thousand trains to kill me," Kol's jokester presence returned.

"Eh, don't get too cocky," Kaleb smiled.

He stepped to the side and a small brunette girl was walking up behind him. She reached the two men, her heart racing a million miles a minute. She was nervous about seeing Kol again. She wasn't sure she could handle this. But Kaleb had assured her on their way there that everything would be fine. That he'd speak to Kol first, warm him up, and then she can come and surprise him.

But oh boy, did they have a bigger surprise for the poor guy.

"Hi Kol.." Davina said shyly. Her blue eyes sparkled in the light, and Kol was almost blinded. He paused in his tracks. He wasn't sure what it would have been like to see her again. He suspected anger, or confusion. He was not expecting _forgiveness. _He understood everything now. He didn't blame her. His mother had that kind of affect on people; making them scared. She scared all of their friends away.

And he knows that it was Hayley who was pregnant, not Davina. Yes, he's upset she lied to him, but not as much as he is relieved. Relieved that he wasn't a father, that she didn't kill a baby.

He's actually somewhat happy to see her again.

"Davina," he breathed. She looked beautiful, just like he remembered. But there were no feelings anymore. Time had passed, and his heart healed from the heartbreak. He admired her beauty as he would his sisters or even Caroline or Katherine. The only girl tonight he found truly beautiful was Bonnie.

"Are you mad at me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He shook his head. "Not anymore. Hayley told me everything. It's okay, I don't-" He was cut off by her embracing him. He wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and lightly kissed the top of her hair.

"I've missed you. I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." He awkwardly patted her back. That wasn't _entirely _true. She did lie to him, she _was_ at fault somewhere. But he didn't need to tell her that. He forgave her.

A cough interrupted their hug. They immediately pulled away. Kaleb stood there whistling. Davina laughed.

"Too long?" She asked.

"A bit," he shrugged.

She laughed, putting a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear.

Kol stared between his two old friends with a confused look on his face. "Why do you need his permission to hug me..?"

"Well, here's the thing.." Davina started, but Kaleb wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We're kind of.."

"Together," Kaleb finished.

Kol raised an eyebrow. "Together? The two of you..?"

They nodded.

"Come on man, you know I had a huge crush on her before you even realized you had feelings for her."

"How long?" Kol asked.

"A few years," Davina shrugged. "Not long. It took me a while to realize I liked him back-"

"And I don't need to hear the details," Kol fake gagged. He then put on a serious face. "I'm happy for you guys. Honestly."

Smiles broke out on both of their faces. They had both been nervous for his reaction. They _were _his girlfriend and best friend. Sure, nine years had passed, but you never knew with some people. He could have felt betrayed or some other negative emotion. But he was happy for them. He really was. They could see it in his face. He was confused at first, but then he was supportive. He really _had _changed since the last time they saw him.

"Kol," a voice called from behind him. He mentally slapped himself. He turned around, grabbed Bonnie's hands, and pulled her to his side.

She chuckled at the quick movements and smiled at the two strangers. Kol rested his hand on her hip. "Davina, Kaleb, this is my girlfriend, Bonnie. Bonnie, these are my friends Kaleb and Davina."

Bonnie smiled and shook both their hands. "It's nice to meet you both. Kol told me all about you."

"Oh no," Davina said.

"All good, I promise," Bonnie assured her. She glanced at Kaleb. "Can't say the same about you," she teased.

Kaleb feigned a shot to the heart. "I'm wounded, Kol. How dare you speak ill of me?"

"Because you never have anything good to talk about," Kol responded.

"You're the one to talk," Kaleb retorted.

"Now boys, there's no need to fight," Davina said, feeling just like old times. She touched her boyfriend's arm. "We should go find a seat-"

"Oh, you can sit with us!" Bonnie suggested. "We have two empty seats. But if you want to go with your other friends, that's fine, but you're welcome."

Davina smiled and shared a look with Kaleb, who shrugged. "Yeah, we'd love to."

Chiming rang out through the dining room. Conversations stopped as they turned towards the main stage, where Rebekah and Matt stood, a champagne glass and a fork in Rebekah's hands.

"I always wanted to do that," Rebekah gushed, and everyone laughed.

Matt took the glass and utensil from his fiancé and handed them to one of the waitresses. He turned to all of his guests and politely asked for everyone to be seated while they said a few words. Everyone followed the groom's orders and took their seats. At the table on the far left, near the entrance to the lobby of the restaurant, sat Damon, Chris, Elena, Jenna, Alaric, Enzo, and Rose. Next to them was Lexi, Stefan, Caroline, Klaus, Hope, Hayley, Jackson, and Oliver. Next to them was Katherine, Sophia, Elijah, Hayden, Camille, Marcel, Gia, Josh, and Aiden. Then it was April, Jeremy, Anna, Emma, Bonnie, Kol, Davina, Kaleb, Liv, and Tyler. Finally, it was Sage, Tate, Finn, Vincent, Eva, Tatia, and Freya. Matt and Rebekah had a small table at the head of the room, in front of the stage, facing everyone, but they would most likely hop around to each table.

"Thank you," Matt smiled. "We want to say thank you to all of you for coming to this dinner. And for those of you who traveled from London, it's been such an honor to meet all of you. Rebekah would never admit this but she's been incredibly excited to see you guys again. And thanks for going through the trouble to come to this small town."

Rebekah hit his shoulder. "You weren't supposed to tell them!" She turned to the audience. "I _totally _didn't miss you guys."

"We missed you, too!" Josh yelled, making everyone laugh once again.

Rebekah tried to speak but no words would leave her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm so bad at speeches..."

"Well, that's the reason these people are here," Matt joked. "They all know us so well that we don't have to worry about saying something stupid."

"True, but tomorrow when I have to speak in front of my coworkers, I'm probably going to say something stupid. Which, does anyone here know how to public speak?" A hand raised but Rebekah snapped, "Besides Caroline! It was a rhetorical question anyway."

"God, we suck at this."

"It's better than being one of those super cheesy and annoying couples who gush about how much they love everyone."

"What's wrong with that?" Matt asked.

Rebekah shrugged. "For some people, it's not sincere."

"But I _do_ love everyone," he responded.

"Because you're you, and you're sweet," she patted his cheek affectionately. She turned back to everyone, and she could see her brother Kol making faces at her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Seriously, I'm so glad all of you could make it. I wasn't expecting every single one of you to make the trip, and I never thought I would be so happy about it, but I am. And even though what I'm about to say is extremely cheesy, it's been great to see everyone making new friends. You guys from back home were such an important part of mine and my brothers' childhood; when things at home were too messy or too scary, we had some great friends to make us smile. And our friends that we've made since we moved here have become such an important part of our lives _now, _that I could never picture having a gathering like this without all of you. I have never been the best at making friends, but somehow all of you managed to get on my good side, and that's one of the biggest reasons you're all here tonight. Before we get married, Matt and I wanted to have a nice night with all of our friends. The dinner has only just begun, so.."

"Please continue talking and laughing. Dinner will be served shortly, and we hope you all enjoy the evening," Matt finished.

Claps and hollers (mostly from Damon and Enzo) filled the room. Matt clasped Rebekah's hand in his and led her down the steps to their table. He had snuck in a kiss on her cheek, but everyone's eyes were still on the couple, so many _awww_'s filled the room.

"They're so cute," Davina smiled into her hand. "Matt seems like a great guy," she observed.

"Oh, he is," Bonnie spoke. Jeremy, Anna, April, Tyler, and Liv were having their own conversation, while Emma ran from table to table with the other kids, so it was just Kol, Kaleb, Davina, and Bonnie to make conversation. "I've known Matt since I was five years old. He's one of my best friends."

"That's great," Davina said. "I'm guessing a lot of people here have known each other since they were kids?"

"No, not really.." Bonnie trailed off. "It's been Elena, Jeremy, Matt, and Matt's late sister Vicky since they were practically born, and then they met me, Caroline, and Tyler in kindergarten and we've all been best friends since. Oh, Jenna is Elena and Jeremy's Aunt, so we've known her forever too. We've also known April forever because she was the kid on the block that we loved to babysit. In high school, we met Stefan, who had an older brother named Damon who had his friends; Alaric, Enzo, Rose, and Sage; that we just hung around with. Katherine turned out to be Elena's long lost sister, so she fell in with us. Then the Mikaelsons moved here, and Rebekah met Matt, Klaus met Stefan, Finn met Sage, Elijah met Katherine, Kol met Jeremy, and through Stefan and Jeremy Klaus and Kol met Caroline and I, and yeah the rest there is history." Bonnie let out a little laugh. "Lexi met Stefan in college, Liv and Anna just recently started dating Tyler and Jeremy, so they've gotten along with all of us.. Yeah, not everyone has known each other _forever_, but after a while, it certainly seems like it."

"I feel like you missed somebody," Kol pointed out.

"Who did I miss?" Bonnie glanced around the room.

"No one, I just feel like there's so many people that my girl couldn't possibly be perfect enough to remember everyone," he teased. Bonnie bumped his shoulder with hers but nevertheless had a small smile on her face.

"How long have you guys been together?" Kaleb asked.

"A little over a year," Bonnie answered.

"That's nice," Davina smiled. "I'm glad you're happy, Kol."

Kol shot her a sincere smile. "I'm happy you are, too."

Matt and Rebekah stood off to the side, watching everyone talk and laugh. She had her head on his shoulder, her arms around his waist, while he kissed the top of her head. She smiled.

"I'm so glad we're getting married tomorrow," she sighed.

Matt smiled. "I am, too. It feels like just yesterday I proposed."

"It hasn't even been a year! Wow, we planned this wedding fast."

He nodded, leaning away from her embrace to look in her eyes. "But the more effort we put into this, the quicker we get to be married, and I can't wait to be married to you."

She grinned and leaned in close to his face. "We're actually doing this. It's finally here."

He chuckled. "I love you, Rebekah _Donovan_."

"Hmm, I love the sound of that." She closed the space between their lips.

* * *

**Oh god, this ending was incredibly cheesy! And next chapter will probably be even cheesier. I'm sorry if this chapter started out good but then just got all sloppy and bad towards the end. I didn't really know what to write with all of The Originals characters! Which, I'm sorry we didn't get to meet all of them, we will definitely hear from the rest of them next chapter at the reception! I did at least mention all of TO characters who are in this story, so you have an idea of who we will be seeing from. You guys can also suggest scenes with them :)**

**Now.. How many of you suspected I was bringing in Hope to the story?! I'm sorry if some of you didn't want this storyline, but I just love daddy!Klaus and I don't think I can wait (spoiler alert) for the future Klaroline baby. But again, like I said, THERE WILL BE NO KLAYLEY. NEVER. EVER. I'm sorry if any of you ship them, but they are my NOTP and I cannot even like them as friends most of the time, that's how much I hate them. Yeah, and no Klamille, or Kolvina, or Haylijah because all of these people are in new relationships and as I've said before, I don't appreciate exes coming out of nowhere and ruining beautiful ships. Yeah, everyone is who there are supposed to be with, and there's only one couple that might change, but no one really ships them so it's not going to be a complete loss. AND STEFAN WILL BE GETTING SOME LOVIN SOON, I PROMISE. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys are excited for some Klaus and Hope bonding, and of course Caroline and Hope :) **

**I am skipping the bachelor and bachelorette parties because I'm too lazy to write them. You guys can imagine what you want, I don't care. Next chapter is definitely the wedding, so I'm going to put all of my effort into that and the reception. Speaking of, I really kinda want Caroline and Bonnie (and Marcel and maybe April) to sing a song, so if you guys have any suggestions, let me know!**

**Please review what you thought, and until next time :)**


	26. Mabekah Wedding

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks. I went on vacation to visit my best friend (although I DID write part of this chapter on my phone- and then struggled deeply to copy and paste it to this damn website) and had a blast, but then I just neglected in finishing up this chapter because, well, I don't have an excuse. But I have finally finished my reading list for July (except my homework- ew, I'll do that after I post this) and I just finished season six of One Tree Hill, so I am now sitting my ass down to write this! You ready? I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or The Originals because none of my ships are together.**

* * *

Rebekah stood in front of the mirror admiring the bouncy curls and the silver flowers dancing around her head, forming a halo out of her hair. Her makeup was a simple yet elegant take on black eyeliner, mascara, silver eyeshadow, and red lipstick. Her figure was being hugged perfectly by a white lace wedding dress that fell to the floor. The top of the dress was off-the-shoulder and the sleeves were complete transparent lace. The silky smooth material was tight as a corset until it reached her hips, where it flowed out to the floor. There wasn't much leg room, but there was just enough to be comfortable. Her white heels peaked out just under her dress.

She felt like a princess. She thought she looked like one too.

"Caroline..." The bride breathed. "How did you... You're a wonder."

Caroline beamed from behind the other blonde. She had helped her with her hair and makeup, but Katherine was the one who designed the dress. Rebekah wasn't sure she trusted Katherine or Caroline completely, despite the fact that they had incredible styles. She was so glad to be proven wrong. Both girls came through in making her feel like the most beautiful girl on the planet.

"Why thank you," Caroline laughed. "But you're just a natural beauty, so it all came very easy."

Rebekah smiled. She was glad her and Caroline were getting along, even if it would only be for the day.

"You really look beautiful, Rebekah," Hayley agreed.

"Matty Blue won't know what hit him!" Katherine added.

"Auntie Bex, you look like a princess!" Emma exclaimed as she twirled in her own fairytale type dress.

"Thanks guys," a hint blush appeared on Rebekah's cheek. "But seriously, if you keep complimenting me, I might vomit."

"Well, then how about I suggest some jewelry?" Elena asked, holding a pair of silver hoops and pearl studs.

"You can't go wrong with diamonds," Sage added, holding up a diamond necklace and charm bracelet.

"If I were you..." Bonnie appeared behind Elena. "I would take the hoops."

"Totally," Caroline agreed with a smile.

Rebekah rolled her eyes but nonetheless let Elena and Sage decorate her body with the earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet.

"Rebekah!" April exclaimed as she entered the bride's dressing room at the chapel. The brunette paused in her spot when she saw her friend. She gasped in amazement. "You look beautiful, oh my god I think I'm gonna cry."

"Oh no, don't cry, we can't ruin your makeup," Katherine said, handing the younger girl a tissue.

April took it gratefully. She turned back to Rebekah, "Anyway, Freya and Hope are done distracting the boys."

"Why did we plan to do this again?" Bonnie asked.

"To be evil and slow down the boys. How dare they not care enough about looking good," Katherine answered.

"Why do girls take forever and boys just throw on whatever?" Caroline said. "That's such a dumb gender role, guys should care more about their appearance."

"Oh they do!" Freya said as she and Hope skipped through the door. "The guys actually look very dapper and handsome."

"Elijah always does, so I wouldn't put it past him to smack some sense into the guys," Katherine bragged about her husband.

"What did you guys even do?" Sage asked.

"We just kept talking and talking and they got really annoyed and kicked us out!" Hope explained.

"Anyway.. When is this show getting started?" Freya asked. The girl played with the hem of her bridesmaid dress.

All of the bridesmaids wore a similar maroon red dress that ended above their knees. The only difference between all of their dresses was the sleeve style. Freya had a simple short sleeve; Elena had a tank top with a designed buttoned hole in the center of her chest; Katherine had a long sleeved on her right arm; Sage had cross spaghetti straps; Caroline had strapless; Bonnie had the tie around her neck; and Hayley had half sleeves down to her elbows. The dresses were made of silk, tightly sewn together at the top, but not so tight that it wasn't uncomfortable. Like Rebekah's wedding dress, it flowed out at the waist, but unlike the wedding dress, these bridesmaid dresses were much more lose and spacious in the skirt. Emma and Hope wore sparkly white short sleeved dresses with a red belt. The dress were designed similar to a Cinderella style dress, at least the sleeve was. They wore white tights and simple red dress shoes.

The bridesmaids hair were all put up in high buns with a few strands of hair bordering their faces. A crowned headband of jewels sat on all of their heads. The flowers girls had their hair done in lace braids with a red rose peeping behind their ear.

"We should be heading down now," April answered. "I have to go stand at the altar, but you all look beautiful! I'll see you guys in a few minutes." She smiled and waved before exiting the dressing room.

Caroline turned to her future sister-in-law. "Are you ready?"

Rebekah took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes."

The girls gathered their things and then headed off into the hall. When they made their way to the double doors, which would lead into the main hall where the ceremony will take place, they saw the guys already waiting for them.

The guys all wore simple tuxes with red ties, but they had made an effort to clean up. It looked like their hair was styled, and everyone knew they could most likely thank Stefan for that. They all looked incredibly handsome.

But they had been talking amongst themselves and hadn't noticed the girls walking towards them. Damon was the first to look up, and when he saw Elena, he had to pause and stare at her in awe. His blue eyes sparkled with love and appreciation for his wife. He always enjoyed going to big parties with her because dancing and him staring at her like she was the most precious thing on the planet was their thing.

He nudged Kol, who had been right beside him. Kol glared at the Salvatore but when he saw what the older brother was looking at, he halted to a stop. He had been the one talking so when no more words flowed out of his mouth, all of the guys turned around with confused looks on their faces. They all understood when they saw the girls.

Kol stared at Bonnie, wondering how it was possible for her to always be so elegant and beautiful. Klaus smirked at Caroline, because he always enjoyed seeing her dressed up. She always looked magnificent. Elijah smiled at Katherine, once he had regained his breath of course. Finn stared lovingly at Sage and almost tripped over his own feet.

Stefan, Tyler, and Jeremy had to admit all of the girls looked beautiful, but Rebekah had to be hands down the most beautiful.

Once the Mikaelson brothers were able to take their eyes off of their partners, they saw their sister and became even more speechless. They usually didn't pay attention to what Rebekah wore; she was their sister and they frankly didn't care; but for the first time they really looked at her and they couldn't believe that their little sister who enjoyed stomping in the mud and spiking balls on their heads could ever look like a princess. But she did. Their sister looked beautiful and happy, and they were glad to see her finally have a day that was just hers. They were incredibly happy for her.

The girls reached them and hadn't seemed to notice the staring. Because of course, just like Rapunzel, she is never looking when someone is looking at her like she is the only thing worth looking at.

"Daddy!" Emma ran to Jeremy. She jumped up and he caught her. "Look at my dress! It's just like Cinderella's!"

Jeremy smiled at his daughter. "Yes, you look beautiful sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head, careful not to ruin her hair.

This broke all of the guys out of their dazes.

"You all look wonderful," Elijah was the first to speak.

"Thank you," they all smiled.

"These heels are killing me," Hayley muttered.

"Cry baby," Katherine teased.

"Not everyone walks around in heels 24/7," she retorted.

"Eh, I wasn't allowed to walk in them for six months, and my feet are still a bit swollen so these heels freaking suck," Katherine responded. She frowned, "This is so depressing, I love my heels."

"No one wants to talk about shoes," Damon interrupted as he wrapped an arm around Elena. "Because all I hear is blah blah blah."

"That's what we hear when you talk about your car," Bonnie smirked. "And bourbon. And pancakes."

"It's not my fault I love pancakes-"

"CAN WE HAVE PANCAKES?" Christian asked.

Elena patted her son's head while everyone laughed. "Shh, we'll have some tomorrow morning."

"Yay!" He clapped.

"Rebekah.." Klaus addressed his sister. "You look lovely." He stood beside her and kissed her cheek.

She grinned. "Thanks, Nik."

Finn reached her and kissed the top of her forehead. "You do look beautiful, sister."

She smiled gratefully. Kol jumped in front of her and opened his arms. "You're getting married today!" He grinned.

She rolled her eyes but nonetheless leaned forward to hug her brother. She tried to pull away from the hug but he wouldn't let her go. "Uh, Kol." He squeezed her tighter. "Okay I already can't breathe-"

"Kol, let your sister go!" Caroline chastised. "I spent a lot of time on her hair and makeup, and I don't fucking care if you were in the hospital last month, I will tear your limbs apart."

Kol quickly backed away. He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I got it." He turned to Klaus. "Your fiancé scares me sometimes."

Bonnie bumped her blonde friend's shoulder. "Don't threaten my boyfriend," she joked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. She turned to the wedding party. "Is everyone ready?"

They all nodded and then turned to Rebekah.

"But is the bride ready?" Stefan asked.

Rebekah nodded eagerly, more confident than she had been five minutes ago. "Definitely."

Caroline slightly opened the double doors and made a gesture to the band. Within a moment, music rang throughout the building. She closed the doors and walked back to the group of people. Grinning, she said, "We're all set!"

Rebekah turned to Hope and Emma. "You girls know what to do?" The two young girls nodded, excited they were about to walk down the aisle.

"Just like we practiced," Bonnie told her daughter as she handed the two girls their bouquets.

"Emma, want to go first?" Hope asked the younger girl. Emma nodded excitedly.

"This is gonna be so fun! Come, new friend!" Emma squealed as she pulled on Hope's hand. The adults all smiled at the girls' new friendship.

Tyler opened the doors and the two girls entered the hall, walking down at a steady pace while throwing rose petals on the ground. As soon as they made it halfway down the aisle, Tate and Chris appeared at the doors and walked down holding the rings. The children reached the altar and Hope, Emma, and Tate went to stand on the bridesmaids side, while Chris went to stand on Matt's side. Matt held up his hand and the little brunette gladly gave his "uncle" a high five.

The music changed a bit, and Elena and Tyler came through the doors. Tyler spotted Liv in the audience and winked at her.

Next to walk down were Finn and Sage, Klaus and Caroline, Kol and Bonnie, Stefan and Katherine, Damon and Freya, and finally Jeremy and Hayley. They all glided down the aisle in perfect harmony. When one couple reached the midpoint, the next couple appeared. When Hayley and Jeremy reached the altar, instead of going to the end of the line like the bridesmaids and groomsmen had done, they went to stand in front of Tyler and Elena, behind the children.

The music changed once again, and everyone stood up. The wide doors opened all the way and out emerged the bride with her second eldest brother on her arm. Everyone in the audience stared at the beautiful bride. Rebekah was usually never so shy, but all of these people staring at her made her nervous. She was always one for attention, and never one to hide her feelings or emotions, but she realized that in a very few short seconds, she'd have to declare her love for Matt in front of all of these people.

She averted her eyes to the floor. She could not stand looking at all of these people. But then she remembered what day it actually was. Her blue eyes glanced up to the altar, where Matt was smiling at her. All of her doubts and worries faded away. She loved him. He loved her. That was all that mattered.

Seeing Rebekah enter the hall was the most breathtaking thing Matt has seen in the twenty-five years he's been alive. She always looked beautiful, but there was always something special about when a woman dressed up, especially on her wedding day. Matt couldn't believe this day was finally here. She was going to be his wife. He was so excited he could barely breathe.

Elijah and Rebekah reached the end of the aisle and Matt took Rebekah from her older brother. April, standing at the top stair, grinned as she began the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today to witness the love and friendship between Matthew Donovan and Rebekah Mikaelson. You may all be seated." The audience sat back in their seats.

She glances at Elijah. "Who is giving this woman to this man on this day?"

"Her brothers- and sister- and I do," he responded. April nodded, and Elijah walked to the groomsmen line and stood at the end.

"Who gives this man to this woman?" April asked.

Usually no one "gives" the groom away, and not like Matt had any family left, but Rebekah didn't want anything to be sexist, and Matt had to agree. But he also realized that he _did_ have a family.

"Everyone in this wedding party," Elena answered. Her, Caroline, Bonnie, Katherine, Jeremy, Tyler, Stefan, and Damon all raised their hands, as if saying they were saying they were the ones giving Matt away. "Alaric and Jenna, too," she added as those spoken of stood up.

"Thank you," April smiled. She gestured for Matt and Rebekah to walk up the steps. They did.

"We will be starting with the vows," April announced. "Matt, would you like to go first?"

Matt took a deep breath and nodded. He shot Rebekah a shy smile as he grabbed onto her hands. "Rebekah.. You have always been this adventure, this joy, this light in my life. I wasn't in such a great place growing up... But being with you made me forget all about that stuff. Sure, you kind of intimidated me at first, but I was drawn to you. I knew that you would have an impact on my life. I knew that you would change me, for the better, that I would smile and laugh and be happy with you. I was scared, I'll admit. You were scary, in both personality, and scary beautiful, but you once told me that the first rule of truly living is: doing the thing you're most afraid of. I conquered my fear of love, of this crumpling fear that once things got good, they'd come crashing down again. I swear, we've had our ups and down that's for sure, but we always pushed through them and came out even stronger. We supported each other, we supported our friends, and our friends supported us. We have a good support group, but my favorite person to talk to is you. I love that I can always talk to you. You're kind, strong, smart, funny, beautiful.. You stand up for what you believe in and you're not afraid of what you want. I admire you. You're my best friend and I am so happy to finally call you my wife."

Rebekah blinked away tears. She was crying because she was happy. She couldn't believe she found this angel to love her.

"Wow, that was beautiful," April cooed. She turned to Rebekah. "Your turn, Beks."

Rebekah breathed in all of her anxiety and let it out. She looked in Matt's bright baby blue eyes and was immediately filled with a new found confident. She forget about the crowd of people. All that mattered was Matt.

"I love you," she began. "You are the most sweetest guy I have ever met. Even if I hadn't fallen in love with you, I would have been happy just to call you my friend. My best friend. But, I did fall in love with you, and it was the best thing to ever happen to me. I found someone who understands me. Who loves me just as much as I love him. You're so sweet and nice, smart and dedicated, hardworking and loyal, just so beautiful inside and out. You say you admire me? I admire _you_. I've always wanted to be like you. Everything that you are.. Is so beautifully human, traits that I admire so dearly. You are an emblem of an angel, and I don't understand why anyone would leave you. Anyone who does is a fool. I would never leave you. I love you, and how I feel when I'm with you. You're the best thing that has happened to me. I just love you so much."

Everyone clapped once she finished her vow. She touched her eyes gently to dab away the tears threatening to fall and ruin her makeup. She saw Matt blink away tears too and she shot him a smile. He mouthed, _I love you, too_.

April let out a noise that was halfway between "aww" and "eph!" She clapped her hands together before taking a deep breath. She apologized to the people in the stands, "Sorry, this is my first time marrying two people, and they're my best friends so you can tell I'm very excited." Everyone chuckled.

April recomposed herself. "Those were beautiful vows, you guys. Now it's time for the rings!"

Tate hopped up the stairs and hugged Rebekah's legs. "Here you go Auntie Bex!"

Rebekah laughed and kissed the top of her nephew's head. She took the ring from the small boy. "Thank you, baby."

Tate grinned before running back to his mother on the bridesmaid side.

Christian walked up to the top of the altar and held out the ring to Matt. "Nice job, dude."

Matt chuckled and took the ring from the three year old. "Thanks-"

"My dad says to say you're a lucky bast-"

Matt covered the brunette boy's mouth. "Okay, Chris, why don't you go back to your dad-"

"Damon!" Elena accused.

Damon shrugged and grinned. "Get back here, you little rascal."

Kol couldn't help but laugh and high fived Chris as he skipped back to the line.

April had to stop her laughter to recompose herself once again. "Okay, let's get this thing started." She gestured to Matt. "Do you, Matthew Zachary Donovan, take Rebekah Claire Mikaelson, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live."

"I do." He smiled. He slid the ring on her left ring finger. The rings were simple gold bands with an engraved heart on the top.

"Do you, Rebekah Claire Mikaelson, take Matthew Zachary Donovan, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live.

Rebekah spoke through her tears, "I do." She slid his ring on his finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife!" April squealed. "You may now kiss the bride."

Both blondes laughed as they leaned forward to collide their lips in their first kiss as a married couple. It was just as wonderful and magical as their first kiss ever.

...

Chiming rang through the reception hall as Caroline clashed a knife with her wine glass. Attention fell upon the bridesmaid. "Hello!" She grinned. "I know I'm probably not allowed to make the first speech, but I have a very special surprise at the end so bare with me here!" Everyone chuckled. Klaus smiled at her from his table. "Matt has been one of my best friends since I was five years old. I've seen him grow up from being an incredibly sweet and loyal boy to an even more sweet and loyal man. He is honestly one of the best people in the world, and I never thought anyone would be good enough for him. Obviously, I was wrong. Now, don't take this the wrong way but Rebekah and I never got along, but I think one of the few things we can agree on is how much we both care about Matt. I have seen her make him the happiest I have _ever _seen him. And for that: I want to say thank you, Rebekah. God only knows that Matt has had a tough time, and you haven't had it any better, but you two found each other in a place where hope is possible, yet not always reachable. I am so incredibly happy for you guys. I wish you love and joy and-" she cupped her hands around her mouth to whisper her next words, "amazing sex." Everyone broke out laughing, while Rebekah clapped and Matt blushed and hid his face.

"The sex is already pretty amazing," Rebekah grinned.

"Hey now, there's children in the room!" Hayley reminded the bride.

Caroline laughed before gathering the attention of the crowd once again. "Now for the little surprise.." She turned around and nodded at Freya, who was sitting behind the DJ booth, as she is in charge of all of the music playing at the reception. The fourteen year old grinned and held two thumbs up. Caroline quickly grabbed the microphone stand and placed it in front of her. "Is this working?" she asked into the mike. When her voice played back, she nodded to herself and sighed. "Okay! I am going to sing a song-"

"Yay!" Elena and Bonnie both cheered; Klaus, Stefan, Lexi, and everyone else joining in.

"This song has a very special place in my heart, and it's something that Matt and I have bonded over. I find it appropriate, that on his wedding day, I not only give away this song to my best friend and his bride, but I sing it for them as well." Matt had a feeling he knew what the song was going to be, and he sent his friend a grateful smile. Caroline winked and her hand made a gesture. Music started playing and Matt grinned, clapping his hands together.

"_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'_  
_Do you feel my heart beating_  
_Do you understand_  
_Do you feel the same_  
_Am I only dreaming_  
_Is this burning an eternal flame_

_I believe it's meant to be, darlin'_  
_I watch you when you are sleeping_  
_You belong with me_  
_Do you feel the same_  
_Am I only dreaming_  
_Or is this burning an eternal flame_

_Say my name_  
_Sun shines through the rain_  
_A whole life so lonely_  
_And then come and ease the pain_  
_I don't want to lose this feeling, oh"_

Applause rang through the room as Caroline belted out the last note.

"Thank you," she smiled. Matt and Rebekah stood up and she ran to hug them both. "Congratulations to the both of you!"

"Thanks," Rebekah smiled as she hugged the shorter blonde. They pulled away from the hug. "I mean it. Thanks. You've been great lately. I just wish it doesn't have to end."

"Who says it does?" She winked. Rebekah chuckled and rolled her eyes. Caroline turned to the groom who has been like her brother for most of her life. He opened his arms and she crushed him in a bear hug.

"I love you, thanks," he whispered.

She patted his back and smiled. "I love you, too."

Caroline walked away and went back to her table. She sat beside Klaus who kissed her cheek.

"You sounded beautiful. How come I never knew you could sing?"

She shrugged. "It's not something I really do.. It's just for fun."

"Well, I think you're amazing."

"Thanks," she blushed. "Maybe I could sing for you later?"

"I would love that," he smirked. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She leaned into his form and snuggled close to him as they turned to watch the rest of the speeches.

...

"-So now is finally the time for the bride and groom's first dance as husband and wife!" Elena finished her speech. "Once again, congrats to Matt and Rebekah, but I think we're all sick of hearing how much everyone loves you guys. So, get up here and dance!"

Matt and Rebekah laughed, but followed the feisty brunette's orders.

Marcel ran up and took the microphone from Elena. "And while the newlywed couple has their first dance... Me and a couple special girls decided to surprise sing the first song."

Bonnie and Caroline stood up.

"Oh my god," Rebekah smiled.

"Wow," Matt agreed.

Bonnie and Caroline ran up to the stage where Marcel was standing. Three microphone stands stood together. Marcel took the one in the middle, the two girls on his two sides.

"Everyone, get comfortable," Bonnie began.

"And admire the love between two of our favorite blondes," Caroline finished.

"Freya, hit it," Marcel clapped.

"It's a slow song, so I'm not going to _hit it,_" Freya said sarcastically. The music began playing. Matt took Rebekah's hand and led her to the dance floor. She locked her hands behind his neck, his hands wrapped around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music in perfect rhythm. Through the song, he twirled her a few times, but they mostly stayed curled up in each other's arms. The song was a beautiful fit, and the three close friends singing it sounded wonderful. It was a perfect first dance.

_"[Marcel]  
__Aren't you somethin' to admire?_  
_ 'Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror_  
_ And I can't help but notice_  
_ You reflect in this heart of mine_  
_ If you ever feel alone and_  
_ The glare makes me hard to find_  
_ Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side_

_ [Caroline]  
'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_  
_ I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_

_[Bonnie]  
Just put your hand on the glass_  
_ I'll be tryin' to pull you through_  
_ You just gotta be strong_

_ [Marcel (Caroline and Bonnie harmonize)]  
'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_ (I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_  
_ The vacancy that sat in my heart)_  
_ Is a space that now you hold_  
_ (Show me how to fight for now)_  
_ And I'll tell you, baby, (it was easy_  
_ Comin' back here to you once I figured it out)_  
_ You were right here all along_

_[All]  
It's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me_  
_ I couldn't get any bigger_  
_ With anyone else beside of me_  
_ And now it's clear as this promise_  
_ That we're making two reflections into one_  
_ 'Cause it's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

_ [Marcel]  
Aren't you somethin', an original_  
_ 'Cause it doesn't seem merely assembled_  
_ And I can't help but stare, 'cause_  
_ I see truth somewhere in your eyes_  
_ I can't ever change without you_  
_ You reflect me, I love that about you_  
_ And if I could, I would look at us all the time_

_ [Bonnie]  
'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_  
_ I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_

_[Caroline]  
Just put your hand on the glass_  
_ I'll be tryin' to pull you through_  
_ You just gotta be strong_

_ [Marcel (Caroline and Bonnie harmonize)]  
'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_ (I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_  
_ The vacancy that sat in my heart)_  
_ Is a space that now you hold_  
_ (Show me how to fight for now)_  
_ And I'll tell you, baby, (it was easy_  
_ Comin' back into you once I figured it out)_  
_ You were right here all along_

_ [All]  
It's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me_  
_ I couldn't get any bigger_  
_ With anyone else beside of me_  
_ And now it's clear as this promise_  
_ That we're making two reflections into one_  
_ 'Cause it's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

_ [Caroline]  
Yesterday is history_  
_ Tomorrow's a mystery_

_[Caroline and Marcel]  
I can see you lookin' back at me_  
_ Keep your eyes on me_

_[Bonnie]  
Baby, keep your eyes on me_

_ [Marcel (Caroline and Bonnie harmonize)  
'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_  
_ (I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_  
_ The vacancy that sat in my heart)_  
_ Is a space that now you hold_  
_ (Show me how to fight for now)_  
_ I'll tell you, baby, (it was easy_  
_ Comin' back into you once I figured it out)_  
_ You were right here all along_

_[All]  
__It's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me_  
_ I couldn't get any bigger_  
_ With anyone else beside of me_  
_ And now it's clear as this promise_  
_ That we're making two reflections into one_  
_ 'Cause it's like you're my mirror_  
_ My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me"_

...

"Would you like to dance?" Tyler held out his hand to his date.

Liv's curly blonde hair fell from behind her ears as she shook her head. "I'm not much of a dancer.."

Tyler sat back down beside her. "I wouldn't pin you for one either. But neither is Stefan, and Elena could always make him dance."

"Something about that love story went wrong, but I doubt it was the dancing," Liv teased.

"I don't know.. You're not gonna ditch me for my brother?"

"You don't have a brother! Although, you sure you aren't into _my _brother?"

"Who, Kai? Ew, no."

"I meant Luke. He thinks you're pretty cute," she grinned.

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow. "What about you?"

She averted her eyes to the floor as a smile crept onto her face. "I think you're more than cute."

"Care to elaborate?" He smirked, leaning closer.

"I think I'd rather dance!" She jumped up, pulling him with her.

"Wha-?"

"Come on!" She giggled as she pulled him onto the dance floor. They reached the dance floor, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands fell to her waist as he pulled her closer. He nestled his face in her hair. Her hair smelled like vanilla. "Why are we slow dancing?" she whispered. "It's not even remotely slow, the music."

"I just want to hold you," he admitted. "I love you."

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "I love you, too. But we can have slutty wedding sex after this awesome dance where you show me your moves?"

"I like the sound of that," he grinned. She laughed as he separated their bodies and grabbed her hands. He twirled her around before picking her up and flipping her.

...

Rebekah finally got away from the crowds of people. Not that she wasn't grateful for all of the attention, all of the people wishing her congratulations and a happy life, but sometimes a girl needs to breathe. And sometimes, a wife needs to be with her husband.

She loved the sound of that. She looked over at Matt, who was laughing at something Jeremy had said. She smiled. She loved his laugh, and everything about him.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when an overly hyper spaz half-jumped on her shoulder.

"There's my little sister!" Kol exclaimed.

"By one year and two days, give it a rest," she scoffed.

Kol smirked and leaned against the snack table. "Whatever." He looked at his sister and became serious. "But, congratulations. The ceremony was beautiful, and more importantly; you look beautiful."

Rebekah could feel her eyes tearing up. Despite how close her and Kol have always been, she's not sure he's ever given her a compliment like that before.

"Thanks, big brother," she leaned forward to hug him.

"Big brother?"

"Eh, I was trying it out."

"I'm your _littlest _big brother," he corrected.

She rolled her eyes, "Not from where I'm standing."

"You must be excited," he changed the subject. "The big day finally came, and you're finally married."

She glanced back over at Matt, who was now dancing crazily with Elena and Bonnie, and a grin couldn't help but spread across her face. "I am very happy."

"Good," Kol rubbed her back. "You deserve to be happy-"

"What about you!?" She almost screamed, turning around to face him. He slightly jumped in surprise. "When's your wedding?"

He sighed. "Oh god, I thought you were yelling at me for not being happy- which I am, by the way. And eh, I don't know, going to all these weddings lately might make me change my mind."

"What weddings?" She asked.

"Well yours, then Klaus and Caroline, and god only knows when Jeremy and Anna, Tyler and Liv, Cami and Marcel, Davina and Kaleb, and everyone else is getting married. You're just the start of the conga line."

"Oh shut up!" She playfully pushed his shoulder.

He nodded over at Freya. "She's doing good; how'd she get the job?"

"She loves music. It's what she wants to do when she gets older: produce music. You know; get music out there, other people's music, get it heard. She loves listening and discovering music, and making playlists and mashups. She plays the guitar and piano, I believe, but she mostly likes the digital stuff. I was having trouble booking a band, but Freya suggested she make a playlist, and after I saw what she wrote, I wanted her to be in charge of the whole thing. She was more than ecstatic. She even has this app that lets her find and play every single song that has ever been produced and released, so we hooked up her computer to the speakers and voila. Although, she is allowed to play requests from guests-"

"Mostly Caroline and Davina-"

"Correct!" She laughed.

"She's very talented. I didn't know that's what she wanted to do."

"Neither did I. But I guess Elijah and Katherine accidently heard her playing music and asked her about it. It never came up in conversations, but I think she's doing good."

"She's doing great, the music is sick."

"Don't talk like that, it doesn't suit you," Rebekah shook her head.

"Oh well," he teased. "So, when are you and your new husband leaving for Europe?" Kol asked.

"Eager to get rid of me, are we?" She joked.

"Well.."

She hit his shoulder. "The day after tomorrow. It's Christmas, and we want to spend it with our friends and family before we leave for two months."

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure people just put your Christmas gifts as your wedding gifts."

"I would hope not!" She teased.

"Don't worry, I got you both, because I grew up with you and I know how you are."

"Why, thank you," she placed her hand on her chest mocking sincerity.

"Can I steal away the bride?" Matt came up to them.

"You already did," Kol answered, shoving his sister into the other man's arms. "Again, congrats guys."

"Thank you," Matt smiled. Rebekah waved at her brother as he ran off to find Bonnie.

She then turned to her husband. "I can't get over the fact that we're actually married."

"Well, get used to it. Because we are. And I'm so happy."

She cupped his face in her hands, bringing his lips closer to hers. Before their lips touched, she whispered. "So am I." And then she closed the distance.

...

"Dance with me!" Lexi exclaimed as she plopped down on the seat next to Stefan.

"I don't dance," he answered simply.

"Come onnn," she wined. "You never dance."

"Exactly. That's why I'm not going to."

"What if I go get Elena..?" He stared daggers at her. "Right, sorry. But she always got you to dance! You've danced with me maybe like once, Rebekah twice, and Caroline a few times!"

"Yeah, well, Caroline's too busy making out with Klaus."

"Ew."

"No, I think they're cute."

"You're such a fanboy, why am I even your friend?" She teased, leaning her head on his shoulder. "But you're dateless, I'm dateless, and we can't just sit here like a couple of unloved losers. We should go dance." She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Stefan thought about it. He looked at his best friend, who could honestly do one of the best puppy dog faces he's ever seen. He hates dancing, but he hates letting down his friend and seeing her sad even more. He sighed. "Okay, fine," he caved.

"Yay!" She jumped up, pulling at his hand. She led him onto the dance floor. "Okay, so let's play a game," she suggested as he twirled her. The beat of the song was fast, but easy. A simple song to just dance back and forth to. You could be super weird and do flips, or you could be super boring and slow dance (not too slow, though), or be somewhere in the middle. Somewhere in the middle was what Lexi and Stefan were doing.

"What game?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Let's play.. Who we think is going to have slutty wedding sex."

Stefan threw his head back laughing. "You haven't got laid in a while, have you?"

"Definitely sooner than you."

"Ouch." He shook his head. "Okay, fine. Let's play."

She looked around, and the first couple she landed on seemed too innocent. And then she found the perfect first suspects. "Damon and Elena, definitely."

"They probably already did it before the wedding."

"Oh, I saw them go into the bathroom when they got here."

"Okay, ew."

"Sorry."

"I'm used to it. After all, they did create my favorite person in the world," he sing-songed.

"Offended," she gave him a pointed look.

"You're my best girl, and Christian's my best boy."

"That's how I like it," she grinned.

"Speaking of my second favorite girl," Stefan spoke. "Caroline and Klaus."

"Oh, definitely. Matt and Rebekah, _obviously._"

"Uh-huh. Oh, Tyler and Liv."

"You think?" She looked over at the two of them dancing. "Okay, yeah, I can see it. Not that I'd want to..."

"You said Damon and Elena, so I said Tyler and Liv. Ha."

"How dare we bring up old flames; what kind of best friends are we?" He shrugged and twisted her under his arm. "If Kol has anything to say about it: him and Bonnie."

"Then I guess no Jeremy and Anna, because then who would watch Emma?" Stefan asked.

Lexi paused her dancing for a moment to gently pat her friend on his head. "Oh, you poor, sweet, innocent thing. Slutty wedding sex happens _at the wedding _on bar tops, in closets, in the bathroom, in a car, _during _the wedding. Not after. Not at the house. At the wedding."

Stefan looked slightly mortified before laughing. "I would say Katherine and Elijah, but she's not allowed to have sex for a few months after she gives birth."

"Sucks to be her."

"Yes, we all know Katherine can't live without being freaky. Elijah however, while Katherine brags about his skills, I'm sure he can wait a while. He is a gentleman."

Lexi's mouth fell agape. "Did I just hear any of those words coming out of Stefan Salvatore's mouth?"

"Oh shush," he shushed her. He looked over her shoulder. "Return of slutty wedding sex at twelve o'clock."

Lexi squealed and turned around. She saw Enzo and Rose walk back into the ballroom and she almost laughed. His hair was messed up, and her dress was wrinkled. She spun back to her friend. "I love weddings!" A pout then came on her face. "If only I had someone to have slutty wedding sex with."

"Don't look at me. That is totally gross and revolting," Stefan stepped back.

"Ew, not you, you dork."

"Then let's find you a guy," he suggested.

"Nah, I think we need to find _you _a girl," Lexi responded.

"Why?"

"You're lonelier than I."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are not."

"Am too. Damnit!"

Lexi broke out laughing. She dragged Stefan off of the dance floor, to the corner of the room. No one was hanging there, and it gave them the perfect view of everyone in the reception. "See any girls you like?" She saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. "Ooh, she's cute." She looked about twenty-one. She probably worked in Rebekah's office.

"No, too young," Stefan answered. "She's eighteen, and Rebekah's intern."

"Oh. How about any of the Mikaelsons' old friends? Those girls are hot."

"And taken."

"Not all of them!"

Stefan caught the eye of the girl he'd been entranced with from the moment he met her. He sighed. "The only girl who caught my eye is taken. How's that?"

She was across the room, she obviously didn't hear what he said, but somehow she smiled at him. He was sure it was a friendly smile. He's met her boyfriend, and he's a great guy. After having who he thought was the love of his life stolen from him, he couldn't imagine doing that to another guy. But her eyes were so green and so pretty. Her hair was long and dark and he wanted to tangle his hands in it and kiss her. She was incredibly sweet and caring, despite the fact that she looked like she could cut you in half. Perhaps she could. From the few times he's spoken with her, he found they had a lot in common, and she was incredibly intelligent and funny. Also, he loved her smile.

He only met her less than a week ago, how could he even feel this way?

Plus, she has a boyfriend.

And a daughter.

"Hello?" Lexi waved a hand in front of his face. When he didn't respond, she flicked his forehead.

"Ow," he rubbed his forehead. "What was that for?"

"You dozed out on me! I asked you a question."

"Oh, sorry. What did you ask me?"

"I said, _Oh my god, you like somebody! Who is she?_"

"No one," he lied. He finally tore his gaze away from the gorgeous brunette.

But not before his blonde friend followed his gaze. She grabbed his shoulder. "Oh my god, Hayley?!"

"Keep it down," he hushed her.

"You have a thing for Hayley?!" she whispered. When he didn't answer, she got her answer. "Oh my god! You guys would be so cute together. But ew, your ship name would Stayley. Or Hefan. Nevermind, you wouldn't be cute together."

"It wouldn't work out anyway. So, leave it alone."

"Suit yourself. I sense that guy Oliver checking me out. Do you think he's into me?"

Stefan subtly looked over at Oliver. "Oh, definitely. He's a nice guy too, but a little too-"

"Oh, I don't care about that. He's hot, and I'm horny. Advice: slutty wedding sex?"

Stefan wanted to roll his eyes and fall on the floor laughing. His best friend could be a handful sometimes. A horny, inappropriate handful. He sometimes couldn't even believe it was her who helped him with his drinking problem and depression. But despite the fact that Lexi can be a breeze to hang out with, she was also a loyal and caring, sweet and serious friend. She likes to make jokes, but she's always there when you need her. It's why he loves calling her his best friend. He needs to let loose, she's always there. He needs a shoulder to cry on, she's there. He tries to be there for her, the best that he can.

But when she's seriously asking him about whether or not to have 'slutty wedding sex' with some guy, he honestly just wants to puke. But nonetheless, he swallows his opinion (and vomit) and tells her whatever he knows she wants to hear.

"Go have slutty wedding sex."

"Okay," she breathed. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'm always fine. Go have fun."

She grinned and gave him a side hug before running off. Stefan took a deep breath and picked up a glass of water.

"Dancing's just not my thing anyway.." he muttered to himself.

...

"Daddy!" Hope ran to Klaus. He grinned as he picked her up and spun her around.

"Hi, baby!" He sat her back on the floor and ruffled her blonde hair.

"Hey, I worked hard on that hair," Caroline pouted. She sat in her chair and pulled the tiny child onto her lap. "Are you having fun, missy?"

Hope nodded. "I am! And I'm so glad mama is letting me sleep over your guys' house for Christmas! What kind of cookies are we leaving for Santa?"

Caroline smiled. She had gone out and bought a few presents from 'Santa.' Hayley had said she had stuff, but that she'd leave them in Klaus's trunk so they can sneak them from the car once Hope is asleep.

"I was thinking," Caroline rested her chin on the little girl's shoulder, "that when we get home, we can bake something for Santa!"

"Really?!" Hope squealed. "I've never baked before!"

"There's a first time for everything," Caroline whispered. "Right, Nik?"

Klaus smiled at his two favorite girls. "Of course. What kind of cookies would you like to bake, Hope?"

"I love peanut butter marshmallow!"

"Good," Caroline nodded. "Now, daddy, go buy the ingredients."

"Yes m'am." He grabbed his coat and keys. He kissed both of their foreheads. "I'll be right back."

"Okay!" Hope waved as she watched Klaus sneak out of the reception. She turned to Caroline and started playing with the curls that fell out of her bun. "I love my daddy. I'm sad I didn't meet him sooner."

"Aww, honey," Caroline cooed. "I'm sad you guys didn't know each other sooner, too. But I know one thing: your daddy loves you so much already. And I do, too."

"Really?" Hope asked. Her big blue-green eyes sparkled under the fluorescent lights.

Caroline nodded. "Yes."

"I love you, too, Caroline!" Hope smiled and hugged the older girl.

"And do you know who else is going to love you?"

"Who?"

"Our puppy, Henry."

"You guys have a puppy!?"

"Oh no, you like dogs, right?"

"I love dogs!"

"Okay, good," Caroline smiled. She flattened out the strays on Hope's hair. "Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?"

"Not as beautiful as you," Hope answered. "I hope to be just like you when I grow up."

Caroline's heart instantly melted at those words. She's only known this little girl a few days but she couldn't help but let her into her heart. She knew she was going to spend a lot of time with Klaus, therefore she would have to see the little girl often. She was scared she'd be one of those step mothers who resented her boyfriend and hated the bastard child from a past relationship and be instantly jealous. But she wasn't. She was not Mikael. She loves kids, and she already loves this one. She doesn't care if it's not her own. She is excited to have a part in Hope's life. She knows she can never be Hayley- she thinks that girl has done a terrific job with what she could raising her daughter. She hopes that now Klaus and her can help Hayley and Hope. That little girl is already so fiercely loved, and Caroline can't wait to bond with her even more.

...

It was almost ten o'clock, and most of the guests had left. The ones that stayed were the only ones that mattered. The ones that came to the rehearsal dinner had all ended up staying late. The reception started around four o'clock, they've been here for over five hours, but no one was tired. And no one wanted to go home.

_"You are my Manhattan from the sky_  
_You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high,_  
_But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside_  
_And I wanna come down and walk around your mind," _April finished belting out the last note.

The girls finished dancing in circles and cheered. The guys clapped and raised their glasses. The children giggled as they threw food at each other to keep awake.

"Thank you very much," April spoke deeply into the microphone. She then broke out laughing. "Man, I'm wasted. Oops."

"What does that mean, momma?" Tate asked Sage.

She just shushed her son. "Nothing. Unlike _some people_, some of us have to be responsible," she glared at April.

April shrugged, "I'm sorry."

"Not setting a very good example, April," Matt patted his friends shoulders.

"You shouldn't have had alcohol at your wedding then!" Josh defended April.

"Thank you!" Lexi agreed.

"You know what, you all suck," Stefan decided.

"I agree with that. I hate all of you," Katherine finished.

"Why, you can drink," Elena told her sister.

"I CAN?" Katherine exclaimed, turning to look at her husband.

"You _can, _yes, but that doesn't mean you should," Elijah said.

Katherine shrugged and looked at her sleeping daughter in the stroller. "I probably wouldn't have anyway."

"Aww," Davina cooed. "Your kids are so cute." She turned to Kaleb. "I want one."

Kaleb's head snapped up. He stared at Davina, waiting for her to break out laughing and say that she was kidding. When she didn't, he scratched the back of his head and hummed. "Uhhh.."

"Hell no, D," Marcel spoke. "You're my little sister, and you're not having a baby."

"I'm twenty-three, I can do whatever the hell I want," she crossed her arms.

"Oooh, she told you," Anna laughed.

"Oh, be quiet, you," Marcel teased.

A small voice and a pull at Caroline's dress interrupted everyone's conversations. "Can we go make Santa's cookies now?"

Caroline chuckled and bent down to look Hope in her bright blue-green eyes. "Of course, honey. In a few minutes-"

"But that's what you said an hour ago!"

Caroline glanced at Klaus. He shrugged.

"It looks like all of the kids are getting sleepy," Bonnie said as she held her daughter in her arms.

"Wait! We need to do pictures first," Freya said as she jumped down from her DJ booth. No one seemed to notice that the music had stopped, but when they did, they complained.

"Play more music," Gia cried.

"It's getting late, and some of you are drunk, some of you had a few drinks, and for those of you who didn't drink at all, you still look tired and it's time to do pictures or I'm never playing music for any of you again."

All of the adults stared at her.

"Wow, this girl's got spirit," Vincent spoke.

"Thanks," she grinned, breaking her tough façade.

"She's also bossy and loves compliments; definitely a Mikaelson," Jackson muttered.

"None of us liked you," Klaus coughed. When Jackson glared at him, Klaus whistled and pretended to look at the ceiling.

"I agree its time for some quick pictures!" Caroline broke the awkward silence.

"I'll be the photographer!" April exclaimed.

A few minutes later, April returned with the fancy camera and stand.

"I can't believe we forgot about pictures.." Rebekah mumbled. "We're so stupid."

"No, we're not," Matt rubbed her back. "We were having fun with our friends. That's what we're supposed to do."

"We're gonna have some more fun tonight, right?" She winked. "Or otherwise we got married for nothing."

"Oh, I see, you married me for the marriage sex?"

"Maybe," she shrugged.

"Some of us just ate," Katherine complained.

"At ten o'clock at night?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow.

"I was hungry," she answered.

"Okay!" Caroline gathered everyone's attention. "We have 50 photo slots on the film. We need to get moving. First, we obviously need the bride and groom-"

Rebekah and Matt took five different pictures. First was them being all formal; him behind her with his arms around her torso. The second was the typical facing each other with her hand on his chest. The third was a staged kiss. Most of the girls 'aww'ed at that photo. The fourth and fifth were them being goofy.

The next batch of pictures were Rebekah with her brothers and Freya. Then Matt with Elena, Tyler, Jeremy, Caroline, and Bonnie.

Hayley, Rebekah, Matt, and Jeremy.

Rebekah and her bridesmaids. The flower girls joined the third picture.

Matt and his groomsmen. The ring bearers joined the third picture.

Matt with Jenna and Alaric.

Matt, Elena, Jeremy, Jenna, Alaric, Damon, and Stefan.

Enzo and Rose with the bride and groom.

Rebekah, Anna, Liv, and Lexi took a photo together.

Freya insisted Matt take a picture with the Mikaelson brothers, which scared Matt at first, but he realized he's got to get used to them. Kol messed up Matt's hair more than once.

Rebekah took a few with her old friends. It started out with just Marcel, Cami, and Hayley. Then they added Davina and Tatia. Then her brothers joined in. Then the rest of the group from England joined in slowly, finally ending with Matt.

There was a group picture with everyone.

And then they got the kids in. They set up a bench for Matt and Rebekah to sit on. Rebekah held Sophia, while Tate and Hope sat on her side. Matt held Hayden, with Chris and Emma sitting beside him. The babies started crying, so Elijah and Katherine took them back. They must have not appreciated being woken up by all of the noise made by taking pictures. The newly wedded couple then took a fun picture with the four remaining kids, which included Emma on Matt's shoulders, and Rebekah holding Tate upside down. Chris tried to do a headstand, but he fell, so in the picture he was lying on his back. Hope did a cheerleader pose, which made Caroline beam with pride, and Hayley groan in frustration.

Finally, there was only one more film left to fill. April called Stefan over to man the camera so she could get one picture in with her best friends. He happily obliged.

"And that's it for pictures!" Stefan called cut.

"Thank you everybody," Rebekah smiled.

"No problem, sister," Klaus said as he kissed his sister's forehead and wrapped an arm around her. "We're here all night."

"NO WE'RE NOT," Hope yelled. "We're going home to make the cookies so I can get to bed, because if I don't then Santa will never come!"

"OH MY GOD, ITS CHRISTMAS!" Christian exclaimed. "I'm wide awake now," he grinned deviously.

Elena rattled her son's head. "Oh no, you aren't. You're going to bed, or else Santa won't come."

"That's right, buddy," Damon said. "I'm afraid Hope got it right. Santa knows everything, especially when little children aren't in bed."

"And whose fault is that?" Rose asked.

"Rose, how dare you question my parenting," Damon feigned hurt.

"Well, it is questionable," Katherine muttered.

"Sorry," Rose smiled.

Damon ignored her apology and turned to Katherine. "I'm gonna forget you said that."

"Can we forget that we know each other?" she responded.

"Not a chance."

"Maybe it's time we all hit the road..." Finn said as he picked up Tate, who was the first of the children to pass out in the pudding. The other children were still awake, although Emma is a bit drowsy, but poor Tate just fell into the food. He had chocolate all in his red hair and face, yet still stayed asleep.

"Oh no.." Camille giggled. "He's cute, but you have big mess to clean up."

"Thanks, we know," Sage chuckled. She grabbed her coat and put it on. She walked up to Matt and Rebekah, hugged them both and told them "Congratulations," once again.

Within ten minutes, everyone had left, leaving Matt and Rebekah in the front seats of Matt's truck.

"Where to now, Rebekah Donovan?" Matt asked as he turned on the ignition.

"Home, silly," she answered.

"Good, because I have a surprise for you at home."

"Aww, honey, I didn't get anything for you though-"

"It's okay. My girl deserves it."

She smiled.

Once they reached home, Matt held his hands over her eyes and walked her to the front door. She's already memorized the steps, so its not like either of them had to worry about her crashing into anything, but you could never be too careful. He unlocked the doors, and they stepped onto the threshold. He uncovered her eyes and red and white rose petals made a path to their bedroom, both candles and Christmas lights guiding the way.

"Baby-" Rebekah started.

"Welcome home, my beautiful and wonderful wife." He kissed her forehead.

"I love you so much," she said.

"I love you, too, Mrs. Donovan."

She grinned. She glanced towards their room and her heartfelt smile turned into a devious, sexy one. "How about we see what lies at the end on this path?"

"That would be our bed," he grinned.

"Care to join me on it?" she asked seductively.

"I would love to-"

"Then you gotta catch me!" she squealed as she ran down the hallway. Matt chuckled and took off his jacket before following her down the hall.

* * *

**So that is that! I don't even know what this is, honestly. I had such bad writer's block (thank you shower) about the reception for weeks. I had the _wedding _part of the chapter done on time, I swear, but the reception just never came to me. I got sort of inspired by the Leyton wedding on One Tree Hill (I just binge watched season five and six, I am on OTH high, don't judge me). The "slutty wedding sex" was definitely a fun trope so I just had to put it in this chapter- sort of. Any couple you want had slutty wedding sex, I promise! Ugh, I'm just too much of a scaredy cat to write anything remotely smutty, but one of these days I will!**

**The version of "Mirrors" that would most likely resemble Marcel, Caroline, and Bonnie's performance would be the cover by Boyce Avenue featuring Fifth Harmony. I love this song and both of these groups, I thought the lyrics were a perfect fit, so I hope you guys liked my choice :)**

**Now I know I mentioned Christmas.. But I don't think I'm going to write a Christmas chapter. Unless.. Of course.. You guys want it! What do you say? Another cheesy, cliché, fluffy chapter? Or do you guys miss the drama? Your choice.**

**Review! Until next time (and I promise not to be so late) xx**


	27. Chapter 27

***slowly wakes up from her fanfiction slumber with a shy smile* I feel so bad, I've been gone for I don't even know how long. I'm really sorry, I've just been dealing with a ton of shit for the past few weeks. My life just really sucks, to be honest. It got a bit better, but now that the weather is getting colder, I can feel my brain becoming mush. It happens. I've been trying to keep myself busy so I wont have time to let myself fall into a depressive, antisocial mood, but I've just been slowly losing interest in everything. But I've been speaking to someone every other week so hopefully this winter won't be too bad.**

**And I don't know if you want to know how sucky my life is but the run down is: my dog's cancer took it's worst turn and it won't be long now before he dies, my mom almost died and was in the hospital a couple weeks ago, both of my sisters were away all summer (one moved across country with my two nieces and newborn nephew, and the other was away at a place I won't mention and she just came back home on Thursday) so I was having a weird time adjusting to being an only child for four months, and I've been having weekly appointments because my dumbass doctors think I have an eating disorder. I mean, towards the end of the summer, I was reading like a maniac so I didn't have time to write, but then school started and so did all this shit, and I've been losing interest in everything. But now I have a five day weekend and I planned to get at least this chapter done. I've had it planned for almost nine months, and I had half of it written for over two months now- I think it's time to finish it! Especially since I've been looking into colleges, and since I want to be a writer, it's time to get back to my writing, what do you think?**

**And also, updating this story is in celebration of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals returning the other night! Did you guys watch it? They were actually better than I was expecting... Until, of course, Steroline. I'm sorry if any of you ship them, but I prefer them as friends. And then on TO, my favorite parts were the flashbacks, of course! I got to see my hubby Kol, and then that scene where they were all looking at the ceiling was adorable like my little clueless baby vamp originals :) What were your favorite parts? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or TO or else the season premiers would have been a long-overdue crossover.**

* * *

*January 15th, 2015*

"Happy Birthday!" Katherine and Elijah exclaimed when Freya entered the kitchen that morning.

The now-fifteen-year-old slightly jumped in surprise at the exclamation. Both her brother and his wife sat at the breakfast table, each with a twin in their arms, feeding them a bottle (Elijah was feeding Sophia a bottle, but Katherine was just finishing breastfeeding Hayden, who was now sleeping).

"How does it feel to be a year older?" Katherine grinned at the teenager.

Freya shrugged and took a seat at the breakfast table, her hand leaning across the table to grab a spoonful of fruit.

"Just as it did yesterday," she answered.

"Yikes, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Katherine teased.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked, taking the kinder route of his sister's moodiness. She was a teenager after all. He remembers how Rebekah acted when she was a teenager and knew not to tease either of his sisters.

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just tired.." Elijah gave her a look. "It's just, I haven't had a good birthday in a few years.. They never did anything for us in foster care, and I just stopped enjoying this day."

Elijah's mood faltered. Knowing that his sister hasn't enjoyed a day celebrating her in years made him feel perturbed and desolate. He had already wanted to make her birthday special, but now he's even more determined to see her enjoy this day.

He glanced at Katherine who had a sad frown on her face. They shared a sad look, silently agreeing that they were going to make this day special for the girl they took in all those months ago.

"Well, we can't accept that!" Katherine cried. Elijah nodded in agreement.

He began thinking of ways to make this a memorable and outstanding birthday, Freya's first birthday with her family, but he realized an unfortunate reality. Despite living with her for not even six months, he doesn't know her as well as he wished he did. He knows she loves music. But he doesn't know tiny, little details of her past that could help him plan a delightful birthday.

"What did you and your father used to do?" he asked, quietly.

Freya's eyes stung with tears at the mention of her father, but she quickly blinked them away. "Well.." She wasn't sure she should share the wonderful secrets of times she shared with the person who loved her most in this world, but she knew it couldn't hurt. Times she spent with her dad were the happiest memories she owned. It would definitely make her feel better to remember the happiest times of her life. "He'd surprise me with a big breakfast in bed.. And he'd leave little gifts along with clues throughout the house leading up to the biggest gift of them all. And we'd go out for dinner, and pig out on cake and ice cream or some new dessert we'd like to try, but it always ended up tasting horrible so we'd go to the grocery store and buy crappy factory cake but it was a tradition and I loved it." A sad smile appeared on her face as she stared off into nothingness. "It wasn't much, but it was special because it was just me and him." She was her dad's only child, only family even, and he always enjoyed spoiling her or taking her places. He thought she cared about the materials and the trips, but even at age seven, all she really ever cared about was getting to spend time with her father. Now she couldn't even have that as a crummy birthday present.

"That sounds lovely," Elijah said softly. "I'm sure you miss him."

"I do," she nodded sadly.

"Was there anything you and him did that was extra special? Maybe not for your birthday but-"

"Hello?" Someone called in from the front door. That voice was all too familiar. "We come bearing gifts!"

"Caroline, it's not polite to just waltz into people's houses," Katherine scolded as Caroline and Klaus entered the kitchen.

Caroline smirked and held out a set a keys. "I didn't waltz in; you gave me a key, remember?"

"Shiiit," Katherine cursed under her breath.

Caroline rolled her eyes and turned to Freya. "Happy birthday, my love!" She shoved a birthday bag on the teen's lap.

"God, how does everyone know it's my birthday?" Freya asked, a small smile slowly turning her face around.

"We do our research," Klaus grinned.

Freya opened the bag and gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a new record player for her albums. Wrapped in tissue paper on the side was a new disk for her to save her digital music since her computer space was filling up. The memory disk was a great bonus, but the record player was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She used to love records when her dad was alive. But she had to give away the player before the next foster parent came to get her. She kept her favorite albums, as the rest got taken away too, but she could never play them. The ones she kept were ones that held some sort of significance to her father, therefore making them important to her.

"It's beautiful, I love it," she grinned. An actual smile full of tears, happy tears, appeared on her face. "Thanks guys," she told Klaus and Caroline. She wanted to express in more words how much she appreciated this gift, but she was speechless. Sharing a look with the two other blondes, she could tell they knew how she felt.

Caroline smiled, grateful she loved the gift. Klaus nodded and squeezed his sister's shoulder. "Happy birthday," he told her. She smiled at him, blinking away her tears.

"We haven't gotten you a present yet, because we wanted to know what you'd like to do," Elijah explained as he burped his daughter.

"You haven't answered our question yet," Katherine reminded the young blonde.

Freya blinked as she tried to remember what she had been asked before Caroline and Klaus walked in. "In the summer, my dad used to take me camping."

"Camping?!" Caroline squealed.

"Camping?" Katherine groaned.

"Camping?" Sage asked curiously as she, Finn, and Tate entered the house.

"WHY DO WE KEEP GIVING OUT KEYS TO OUR HOUSE?" Katherine yelled, waking up Hayden. She cursed herself and lifted her baby up to soothe him, and he immediately went back to sleep. She sighed in relief. A fussy, crying, sleep-deprived Hayden was not something you wanted to deal with at eight o'clock in the morning.

"Very smooth, Katherine," Finn chuckled as he leaned on the back of Freya's chair. He bent forward to place a kiss on her hair, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," she smiled at him. Sage sent her a wink, making Freya laugh.

Tate climbed onto his Aunt Freya's lap. "It's your birthday! This means we get cake." Before Freya could make a comment about Tate loving cake more than her, her brother spoke.

"No, this means we go camping," Elijah announced.

"Camping?" Everyone turned their heads to Elijah. They all stared at him. Some surprised, some happy, some mortified.

"It's the middle of January!" Katherine cried. "Where would we even go camping?"

"The Gilbert Lakehouse!" Caroline suggested.

"Ew, why would we use their lakehouse?" Klaus joked but Caroline still slapped his shoulder:

"Come on, Kat. You're a Gilbert, you can use it. And then invite your lovely in-laws," Caroline smiled sweetly.

"But camping..." Katherine groaned.

"It's not really camping if it's at a lakehouse," Finn pointed out.

"Yes it is! We can still hike in the woods and swim in the lake, and do campfires and sing songs and make s'mores- we'll just have comfy beds to sleep in at night, and plumbing and cable," Caroline explained.

"How do you know all of this?" Sage asked.

"I'm Elena's best friend, you don't think I was invited there once or twice? Seriously, it's such a cute house and it's right on the lake- and Virginia isn't even that cold or snowy this time of year!"

"Sounds like fun!" Freya immediately grinned. She used to love camping. And she's always wanted to stay in a lakehouse or something similar. And to spend it on her birthday with her new family, it immediately lifted her spirits.

"Really?" Elijah smiled.

"Yeah!" The birthday girl nodded.

"Then it's settled," Elijah slapped his fist on the table like a judge. "This weekend we will all head out to the lakehouse for 10 days-"

"What about Freya's school?" Katherine asked.

"And work?" Klaus added.

"And the kids?" Sage finished.

"Nonesense," Elijah cut them all off. "I am going to go call Kol and Bonnie. I will see you all on Saturday." Everyone shared a look agreeing that Elijah has officially lost his mind, but knew not to question it. Knowing how Elijah wants what is best for everyone, they had high hopes that this weekend will turn out to be one they'd remember forever.

...

"This is so exciting!" Freya exclaimed as she helped Elijah load suitcases and bags into the back of the van.

They found Jenna and Alaric to watch the twins because the twins were too young to participate in and enjoy camping. It would be too much of a hassle to bring them along, and Jenna and Alaric were nothing but happy to watch them for a few days. They have gotten better with the loss of their baby, but are still heartbroken nonetheless. Even so, they are still happy and grateful for Katherine and Elijah. Katherine was not so excited to leave her babies behind, she felt even worse when she had to return back to work in December. But after a lot of kisses and nose touches, she handed her babies to Jenna and Alaric, and made Elijah drive her away before she changed her mind.

"Very," Katherine added dryly.

"Oh come on," Elijah wrapped an arm around his wife, kissing her temple. "It's going to be fun," he promised.

"Yeah yeah," she unwrapped his arm from her shoulder and walked away.

All of the adults were able to get the next week off of work, and school for Caroline (and Freya, Tate, and Emma). Hayley had left for England last week, but agreed to let Hope stay with Klaus and Caroline for a while so she can get her stuff together in England and bring it all back. Hope had no problem never returning to the place she grew up. Despite how small and boring this town is, Hope had fallen in love with it and the people. She was eager to complete the move to be closer to her father.

She was young. She didn't understand how hard moving can be. But she didn't care. She begged her mom, and Hayley gave in. Hayley didn't know how long it would take to switch her job, cancel her landlord, transfer Hope's school, and pack everything up, but she knew her daughter would be safe with Klaus and Caroline, well at least Caroline. Hayley thought the blonde was a kind soul, and she loved that Hope had someone successful and beautiful to look up to. It made her a bit sad and a tad bit jealous that Hope admired Caroline so much, and fell in love with her so easily. But petty jealousy was not one of Hayley's qualities, so she pushed her feelings aside and let Hope, Klaus, and Caroline be their own little happy family. It was the least she could do after all of the lying she did and the secrets she kept.

Tate and Emma were thrilled to go camping. They had never been before, but Emma was more eager to go see the Gilbert lakehouse. Jeremy and Elena said it was fine if they used it, especially since Katherine was going, as she was a Gilbert by blood. Katherine felt weird using something owned by her birth parents, but since she became so close to her birth siblings, she couldn't really complain about being a Gilbert instead of a Pierce.

"Caroline and Klaus are driving up with Bonnie and Kol," Elijah announced as he checked his phone.

"Emma and Hope are going to drive them crazy in that car," Katherine grinned. "Little girls can get pretty wild, trust me."

"No talking yet, we get Tate," Elijah teased.

"Aww yay," Freya cooed. "I love that little boy."

"And he loves you, too," Katherine smiled.

Elijah touched his sister's shoulder lightly to get her attention. "We have one more surprise for you before we leave."

"What?" Freya raised an eyebrow.

"Me!" A voice jumped out from the door to the house.

Freya turned around in surprise. She saw Rebekah creep out from the house, Matt grinning behind her.

"Rebekah, Matt!" Freya laughed. She ran to hug her sister, and then her brother-in-law. "What are you guys doing here? What happened to your honeymoon?"

Rebekah reached for her sister to pull her into yet another hug. "Oh, we can take a quick break to come camping for my sister's birthday."

"Really?" Freya smiled.

"Of course," Matt returned the smile.

"Are we ready to rock and roll?" Rebekah asked. Elijah nodded as he closed the back of the van securing all of their stuff. They all climbed into the van and drove to pick up Finn, Sage, and Tate, and then off to the lakehouse they go.

...

"Matt!" Caroline squealed when she jumped out of the parked car and ran to her childhood friend. She reached him, throwing her arms around him. "You made it!"

Bonnie was right behind her, and gave Rebekah a hug to show that she was wanted just as much as Matt.

Caroline pulled away from the hug with Matt so he could hug Bonnie. She and Rebekah shared a look, one that was devious and playful, not annoyed or disgusted. They both laughed and leaned forward to hug each other.

"Caroline and Rebekah hugging? Never thought I'd see the day," Kol announced as he jumped out of the van.

"Oh shush," Rebekah scolded her brother before hugging him.

"Tell us all about Europe!" Caroline pleaded, grabbing Matt's hand. "Is it beautiful? Where have you guys gone so far? Are you having fun?"

"Slow down, girly," Rebekah chuckled. "And fyi; we spend most of our time in the hotel room."

"Too much information!" Finn shouted as he followed Sage and Katherine into the house, carrying both of the ladies' lugagge.

Rebekah was about to speak when she yelped in surprise from someone jumping on her back. The person was too heavy for her to carry, so they immediately fell back on their feet, but still kept their arms locked around her shoulders. She instantly knew who jumped her. She leaned her head back with a smile on her face. "Hi, Nik."

He grinned. "Hello, sister."

"Rebekah! Nikalus! Stop fooling around, we need help bringing luggages in!" Elijah yelled.

"WE'RE ONLY HERE TEN DAYS," Rebekah shouted back.

"TELL THAT TO KATHERINE."

"HEY. NO SELLING ME OUT," Katherine's voice boomed from upstairs.

Rebekah and Klaus were the only ones remaining outside, besides the three kids who were playing tag by the entrance to the woods. They shared a look and shrugged before grabbing the last of the suitcases.

"Get ready for ten days of hell," Klaus muttered as they stepped into the lakehouse.

...

"Okay, so I made a list of fun camp activities to do while we're here," Caroline squealed as she handed everyone gathered in the living room a piece of paper.

"That looks dangerous," Sage said as she read off _hang gliding across the lake_.

"No, no, and no. I could chip a nail," Katherine said about every other activity on the list.

"While these do look fun... It seems a bit... Busy," Elijah added.

"Yeah, aren't we here to just enjoy Freya's birthday?" Bonnie asked.

"Love," Klaus put his hand on his fiancé's shoulder. "Your ideas are lovely and would be a lot of fun, but maybe we should let Freya pick out what she wants to do."

Caroline nodded. "These were just ideas, God, I'm not that controlling," she laughed. She turned to the birthday girl. "What would you like to do first?"

Freya shrugged. She looked out the window and was surprised how sunny it was. It was the middle of January and it wasn't even that cold outside, thanks to global warming. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that it probably wasn't going to last, so she knew they couldn't waste a beautiful day like today.

"Rope swing into the lake," she answered shyly, as if not sure whether everyone would want to do it or not.

"Yes!" Kol whispered excitedly. He was thankful his foot had healed ahead of schedule. He still had to be careful not to get injured too badly, but rope jumping into the lake isn't dangerous. Is it? Nah.

"Are we swimming in the lake?" Emma asked as she, Hope, and Tate ran into the living room.

"It's really nice outside and I really want to swim!" Hope added.

"Pleeeeaseee?" Tate put on his biggest puppy dog face.

"Lucky for you," Bonnie said, "That's exactly what we're going to do."

...

"No no no, I don't want to jump into the lake," Katherine pouted as Caroline dragged her up the rock. "It's so high up! What if I fall and die?"

"If I can do it, so can you!" Hope shouted.

"Oh be quiet, you're five!" Katherine yelled down.

"I'm eight!" The little girl corrected as she splashed Klaus and Kol.

"Well, whatever." Katherine turned around to leave but Caroline blocked her path. "I don't want to jump. I would rather stay alive. I think my safety outweighs your wishes."

Caroline chuckled. "Kat, the lake is _huge, _and the rope will swing you to the center and you'll be literally two feet above the water when you jump. And even if you slipped off the cliff, it's only 10 feet high."

"Slip off the cliff? No way, I'm going back." She tried to weave her away down to the ground, but seeing how she'd have to weave around many jagged rocks, jumping into the lake seemed less dangerous than climbing down the rocks. She turned to face Caroline. "What if I crash into a tree? I could break a nail."

"The rope doesn't even reach the trees!" Caroline retorted.

"Oh, for the love of god," Kol exasperated as he climbed up the rocks. He appeared behind Caroline and Katherine, reaching out his hand to grab onto Katherine's shoulder, pretending to catch his balance. "Just-" he applied pressure to Katherine's shoulder, pushing her forward. "-push her in." His voice was washed out by the older Gilbert twin screaming at the top of her lungs.

Everyone began laughing as Katherine hit the water with a _splash. _

It wasn't a pretty sight when she emerged from the water with a look that could kill. "Are you FREAKING KIDDNG ME, KOL?! I am going to kill you!"

Kol clapped his hands together and laughed mischievously. When the rope swung back his way, he grabbed ahold of it. He stepped backwards before kicking off with his feet. He swung down the cliff before jumping into the water. "KI-YAH!" He exclaimed as he leaped through the air.

Of course, to add to Katherine's misery, he landed right next to her, splashing her all over again. When he surfaced from the water, Katherine attacked him.

She attempted to drown him, but he was stronger than her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and tossed her through the air. She struggled against him, splashing him. He loosened his grip, but spluttered water in her face.

"Someone help me!" she cried. She tried to push him under the water, but he appeared half a second later and splashed her, drowning her in the process.

Elijah appeared between them, pulling Katherine away from Kol. He had to try his hardest to stop laughing. "Break it up. The last thing I need is my brother and wife killing each other."

"Oh, I wasn't going to _kill _him," Katherine _pshted _while Kol claimed,  
"Oh please, I wouldn't have _killed _her."

"Only severely injure him," Katherine finished.

"You wish," Kol retorted. She rolled her eyes but had a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

Rebekah swam over to Katherine. "Kol used to push me into the water all of the time. Pushing people is his specialty."

"Well, drowning people is mine," the brunette declared.

"Actually, it's Klaus's," Finn revealed as he tossed a giggling Tate out of the water.

"Hey!" Klaus exclaimed as he played with his daughter.

"You guys are lunatics," Bonnie couldn't stop laughing.

"You love us anyway," Kol hugged her from behind. She yelped and dived under the water, swimming away from him.

"Hey, come back here!" He shouted as he chased after her.

"Watch out!" Freya screams as she swings the rope into the water.

"I think it's time to head inside," Sage announced.

"Yeah, it's getting late," Finn said as he gestured to the setting sun. The sky was a mélange of blue, yellow, and pink as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

"Wow, we've been out here for hours," Matt declared. "Yikes, I'm turning into a prune," he said as he examined his hands.

"I don't know about any of you, but it got freezing out," Rebekah shivered. She swam to her husband and hugged him, basking in his body heat. "Whose idea was it to swim in January?"

"I didn't think it was that bad," Bonnie admits. "And you guys know me; over-bearing, responsible parent who fears every disease ever."

"You were good today!" Emma exclaims.

"Why, thank you, baby," Bonnie smiled as her daughter swam over to her. The water helped the little girl ascend so she was face to face with her mother. She stepped one foot on Bonnie's knee, and rested her floaties on her shoulders.

"You're welcome," Emma kissed her mother's nose. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Bonnie smiled at her daughter.

"And I love both of you!" Kol grabs Emma and lifts her on his shoulders, making the five-year old squeal in delight.

"Oh, Kol. Always one to ruin a moment," Elijah shook his head.

"I think he livens up the room." Bonnie defends her boyfriend.

"See?" Kol nods his head in approval at his girlfriend. "At least, someone understands me."

Elijah ignores his youngest brother's comment. "I think we should head inside now-"

"Nooo!" Hope, Tate, Emma, and Kol protested.

"What are we going to do now?" Hope asked as she ran out of the water over to Caroline, who had been drying off while the last couple waterlogged interactions occurred. Caroline held open a giant towel, which the young girl ran into. The older blonde quickly dried off the soaked little girl. Once Hope was dry, Caroline pulled her into her lap. Hope cuddled up to Caroline as the older girl kissed her hair.

"What does the birthday girl want to do next?" Katherine asks Freya.

The birthday girl in question pretended to think. "I think it's a perfect night to do a campfire and make s'mores?" Freya suggests shyly.

"Okay, but that's your birthday cake," Sage teases.

"Wait, no actual cake?" Tate pouts as he hits the water with his fists. "I wanted birthday cake!"

"Oh no, honey, we'll bake one tomorrow," Caroline promises.

"Can we help?" Emma asks, Hope and Tate eagerly nodding along.

"Of course," Bonnie smiles, knowing how much kids love to bake sweets.

"Yeah, I'm not cooking," Kol scrunches his nose.

"It's baking, dumbass," Caroline sticks her tongue out at her fiancé's brother. He makes an equally obnoxious face at her.

"Can we just please go take warm showers and then sit around the campfire?" Rebekah snaps, shivering in her towel.

"Sounds beautiful to me," Katherine agrees as she exited the lake. Feeling the cold air hit her vulnerable body, she awkwardly ran to the pile of towels and quickly wrapped the purple one around herself.

"Don't take forever girls or you'll use all the hot water," Elijah warns them.

Rebekah and Katherine took that as their cue to leave. "Wouldn't count on it!" they shout as they run in the house.

Sage understands her sister in-laws' pain. She was cold and wanted nothing more than a nice, hot shower. But she knew she had to wash up her son first. She got out of the lake, wrapped herself in a towel, before picking up a towel for her little monster. "Come on Tate, let's get you inside-"

"No!" He violently shook his head, swimming to hide behind his father.

"You can have extra chocolate on your s'mores," Finn said. Sage shot him a scary look but he smiled and shrugged. She sighed and nodded.  
"Tate, if you get out of the lake and come wash up, you can have extra chocolate _and _cake tomorrow," she told him.

Tate's freckled face lit up at the thought of more sugar, which made his parents and everyone fear the sugar induced two year old. "Deal!" he exclaimed, running out of the water. He ran past his mother into the house, all soaking wet. Sage mentally groaned and chased after him.

"He's such a negotiator for a two year old," Freya laughs.

"Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll start the fire?" Elijah suggests.

She nods. "Thanks." She exits the water, and follows everyone into the house.

The only ones remaining outside were Elijah and Klaus. Elijah exits the lake, but Klaus relaxes and floats on the water now that he's not worried about his eight year old daughter drowning. Hope had claimed she could swim and didn't want the floaties that her cousins wore. Klaus was reluctant to believe she didn't need the floaties, so he didn't leave her side the whole time they were swimming.

"This actually wasn't that bad of a day," Klaus admits as he finally emerges from the water.

"Why, you didn't think it would be?" Elijah raises an eyebrow.

"Eh, you know how our family is," Klaus shrugs. "We haven't all lived together in seven years. 10 days with all of our families? I'm kinda nervous to see where this will go."

Elijah couldn't disagree with that. "Me too, especially since Kol and Katherine almost killed each other," he says as he put on a clean, dry shirt.

"That was my favorite part of the day," Klaus grins wickedly. He then grabs a shirt and throws it over his head before going to help his brother set a fire in the giant pit.

"Niklaus," the second eldest Mikaelson warned.

"Hey," Klaus raised his hands in defense. "Seriously, they were playing. They've actually developed quite the relationship. You're lucky it wasn't me who pushed Katherine into the lake because me and her would have gone _down. _Now _that _wouldn't have been pleasant."

Elijah wanted to disagree, but ended up nodding. "True," he had to admit.

"So what else do you think will go down in crazy town?"

Elijah sighs. "Let's hope nothing," he prays. A smile appears on his face as the fire pit finally started. It was getting warmer out there already.

Noticing his brother's distraction, Klaus shakes his head and whispers to himself, "Well, that's no fun."

...

Freya felt warm and cozy from her hot shower. She dressed herself in fuzzy, yellow polka dotted leggings, and a giant, red hoodie. She walked down the stairs to go back outside for the campfire. As she passed the threshold, she was pleasantly surprised by the warmth the fire pit brought to the outdoors. She saw Katherine speaking with Bonnie and Caroline, and Elijah and Klaus "manning" the fire while Hope tried to arrange the s'mores-making-table.

Freya walked over to her niece and helped her organize the bags of mini and jumbo marshmallows, the chocolate bars, and the tray of graham crackers. She saw the pile of sticks and was glad Hope hadn't tried to set those up yet. She picked up the bag of sticks and set them at the beginning of the table, next to the marshmallows.

"Yay! I've never had s'mores before. They look delicious!" Hope clapped excitedly.

"FOOOOD!" Tate screamed as he ran out the door only half dressed and his red hair damp. Sage and Finn followed him out the door, Sage holding her son's shirt, and Finn holding the towel.

"Tate!" Finn scolded.

"You're going to catch a cold if you don't get your cute little butt over here and get dressed," Sage chastised.

"And no chocolate and marshmallows for you," Finn added.

Tate turned around with a pout. "Fine!" He ran back over to his parents so they could help him finish dressing.

Kol and Emma exited the house next, followed by Rebekah and Matt. Now everyone was outside.

"What's for dinner? I'm starved," Rebekah asked as she sat on a log next to Elijah.

"Chocolate is for dinner, Auntie Bex," Tate grinned.

"Oh god," Sage whispered. "What did we do?" She asked her husband. Finn just shook his head in horror.

"We're eating actual food first, Tate," Bonnie told the little boy.

"Chocolate _is_ real food, darling," Kol stood up for his nephew.

"Well, Caroline and Bonnie cooked the first meals when we first got here so all we have to do is heat it up," Elijah explained.

"And you think it's best to do it over the fire pit?" Matt asked, curiously.

"It wouldn't be camping, now would it?"

"True," the blonde agreed.

"What did you guys make?" Rebekah asked her two former fellow cheerleaders eagerly.

Caroline chuckled. "We made mac and cheese with hot dogs and corn on the cob for the kids, and then us adults have a.." She turned to Bonnie, "What's the fancy name?"

"Dutch Oven-Braised Beef and Vegetables. There's tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, zucchini, and corn," Bonnie answered. "Although, we're also welcome to eat the kids' food because I think we made too much mac and cheese."

"Fine with me," Kol and Rebekah both said.

"Why are you so hungry?" Katherine raised an eyebrow at the British blonde.

Rebekah shrugged. "Skipped breakfast," she lied. Matt rubbed her back soothingly.

"She threw up her breakfast," he corrected. "She's been sick the past two days."

"Are you okay, sister? Would you like to lie down?" Elijah asked worriedly as he put the food over the pit. "You're welcome to be excused."

Rebekah shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I haven't felt sick in hours. It must have just been some French flu."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked.

"Yes," Rebekah assured her family. "I'm not going to miss my sister's birthday dinner."

"Don't suffer through sickness on my account," Freya spoke.

"Guys, I'm fine! God, leave me alone about it," she snapped.

"Yikes, someone's moody," Kol sang.

"Shut up, Kol," Rebekah snarled.

"Okay... Let's draw the attention _away_ from Rebekah," Caroline suggested.

"Thank you," Rebekah muttered in relief.

"Soo.." Caroline started awkwardly. "How's everyone doing?"

"Horrible. Now, let's eat," Kol joked. Bonnie hit his shoulder. "What? I hate small talk."

"Amen," Katherine agreed. "I do miss my babies, though," she sighed sadly.

"I miss my work," Bonnie said.

"Ew, work," Klaus joked.

"I've been doing a great job there. I'm really enjoying all of the people I've been helping," Bonnie explained.

"And I think that's wonderful," Finn said.

"Yeah, we're really proud of you," Caroline smiled, throwing an arm around her best friend.

"Thanks," Bonnie smiled. "But what about Klaus? You're becoming a little celebrity, there."

Klaus tried to hide his blush in the moonlight. "It's nothing."

"No, it's not nothing, brother," Elijah said. "You have an incredible talent and it has finally been recognized. We're all very proud of you." His siblings nodded in agreement.

Caroline kissed Klaus's cheek. "So proud," she whispered in his ear.

"Thanks, guys," Klaus smiled. He was then desperate to change the subject from him. "Matt, Rebekah, how's Europe been?"

"Oh, lovely," Rebekah smiled dopey.

"Our first stop was in London, and she showed me where you guys used to live: around the neighborhood, all the old hangouts."

"Old hangouts," Kol scoffed.

"And what did you think of our hometown?" Elijah asked.

"It was nice. Your neighborhood was.."

"A dump?" Klaus suggested.

"No," Matt blushed. "Small. But the bigger picture, the city, was beautiful. I don't understand why you all prefer Mystic Falls."

"Bad memories," Finn shrugged.

Sage patted her husband's knee. She turned back to the newly wed couple. "So, how long were you in London?"

"A few days," Matt answered.

"And where have you guys been since?" Freya asked.

"We explored Ireland for two weeks, and we were just in France before we came back."

"Aww, have you guys seen the Eiffel Tower yet?" Caroline cooed.

"Of course," Rebekah said. "I also had the time of my life shopping in Paris."

"Please tell me you brought back clothing," Katherine pleaded.

"Of course. I'll show you later," she promised.

"And then when we go back to Europe, we have plans for all of Spain and Italy, and then we'll only have time for one major city in the rest of the countries so we plan on visiting Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Athens, all the capital attractions, you know?"

"Ugh, you guys are so lucky," Bonnie said.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Emma interrupted as her, Hope, and Tate skipped up to the fire.

"What are you guys doing?" Sage shrieked. "Stop running or you'll get dirty all over again!"

"Calm down, Sage," Elijah chuckled. "Dinner is ready now. So please, sit and eat, everyone."

Everyone helped themselves to dinner and enjoyed it.

Except Rebekah.

She was starving for food, but as soon as she filled her plate with food, she barely stabbed it with her fork before she lost her appetite. She pushed the vegetables around the plate, feeling sick of the healthiness. She pushed the meat off to the side, her stomach ready to hurl thinking about the fact that it was a dead animal on her plate. She had taken a small spoonful of mac and cheese, but the smell of cheese made her want to heave. Her stomach was empty, but she couldn't force herself to eat anything.

"Beks, you okay?" Klaus asked.

"No, I feel sick," she puffed out her cheeks to stop from puking. She then stood up with a sudden need to pee. "I gotta pee." She then dropped her plate and ran into the house.

"That's was random.." Caroline laughed lightly. "From not hungry to needing to pee?"

Katherine, Sage, and Bonnie shared a knowing look while the guys all shrugged.

"You know what?" Katherine said as she stood up. "I really have to pee, too. I'll be right back."

That was a lie. Katherine didn't really need to pee. But she did need to talk to Rebekah. She gave a look to Bonnie and Sage that said _I got this_. And then she disappeared into the lakehouse.

* * *

**Ooh, what's wrong with Rebekah? I think I made it kind of obvious but whatever. I'm sorry this chapter isn't as long as my past few chapters have been but I plan on making the camping trip a two parter, maybe even a three parter so bare with me! Plus, I'm just coming back from a break, I haven't had all the time in the world to write. Anywho, I hope I have the next chapter up and running and ready for you guys to read asap :)**

**I hope you enjoyed this cute family chapter! Again, sorry I was gone for so long, but I hope you can understand I was dealing with some shit.**

**Please review! Until next time :) xx**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys, I know I suck. I thought I was going to get back into the swing of things when I last updated, but things in my life just got messier. But I dropped a toxic friend the other day so my life got a bit brighter! **

**I think it'll be safe to say I will update very irregularly as I barely have time to do anything anymore. I sometimes don't even have time to watch the three shows I watch lol. I hope I'll have time on weekends in the future, but I spend most of my weekends hanging with my mom because we recently lost our dog so things have been depressing and lonely around the house so it's nice just to keep her company when we're both home.**

**For all you Americans, how was your Thanksgiving? Enjoying the holiday season? I made pumpkin and apple pie this year (for the first time) and I am amazing (and healthy and vegan but it doesn't matter because they were delicious! AND all of my judgmental family loved them too!)**

**Anyway... Have you guys been watching TVD/TO? I finally caught up! I won't spoil too much but: I'm liking Valerie and the idea of Stalerie and not just because I despise Steroline, Plague and co. really could have come up with a better storyline to intertwine Candice's pregnancy, YAS BONNIE FINALLY GETS A BAD BOY, I don't trust Aurora or Tristan but I love Lucien, Davina Claire is my baby who needs to be protected at all costs, AND I WANT KOL BACK. That is basically how I feel about the two shows, now let's move on.**

**I honestly thought this chapter had already been posted but then when I finally sat down to write I realized I hadn't even finished it and was like "oops." So here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or TO**

* * *

Katherine walked through the doors of the lake house. She turned the corner down the hallway until she stopped right outside the bathroom door. She felt weird that she was standing there waiting for her sister-in-law to come out of the bathroom... Especially since she could _hear _a human being moving around in there. She realized she may come off a bit stalkerish, so she stepped back to give the moody blonde a chance to get out of the door way.

Katherine didn't even know what she'd say to Rebekah. What should she say? What _could_ she say?

_Hey, nice shoes you got in Paris! By the way, I think you're pregnant._

For all Katherine knows, she could be wrong. Maybe Rebekah wasn't even pregnant.

Morning sickness, nausea, increased food craving, decreased appetite, and the urgent need to pee? Definitely something fishy...

Katherine shook her head. Maybe she shouldn't have even been the one to volunteer to talk to the eldest Mikaelson sister. After all, Kat and Bex hate each other. Sage wouldn't have been better, but Bonnie might have been the superior choice. Out of all of her brothers' lovers, Bonnie was the one Rebekah liked the best (although Caroline and Rebekah have gotten surprisingly close).

She heard the toilet flush, the faucet run. The lock clicked, the knob turned. Katherine was then face to face with Rebekah.

"Oh, hey, Katherine," Rebekah said, surprised.

"I have to use the bathroom," Katherine lied.

The blonde stepped aside. "It's all yours," she motioned towards the bathroom.

Katherine nodded, but before she could step through the doorway, she slowly turned around. "Actually... That's a lie..."

Rebekah was already halfway down the hallway, but she turned back around. Raising her eyebrow, she asked, "What?"

"I need to talk to you," Katherine admitted. Rebekah shrugged, motioning for the brunette to continue speaking. "Are you okay? Matt said you've been sick, and your appetite changed drastically at dinner."

Rebekah put her hand on her heart. "Aw, Kat, are you worried about me?" She rolled her eyes.

Katherine scoffed. "What? No way. I just..." Rebekah raised her eyebrows again. "Okay, yes. I am worried about you. Despite you being an insufferable little brat most of the time, no all of the time, I do care about you. In a way. Not really. But you get what I mean."

Instead of retorting to Katherine's reveal, Rebekah just nodded. They both care about Elijah, and since Elijah loves the two of them, their hate relationship turned into a love/hate. "Truth be told? Ditto."

"Well, anyway... You know you can always talk to me if you need someone to talk to."

"About what?" The blonde scrunched her eyebrows together.

Before Katherine could explain her hypothesis, Sage and Bonnie stormed in the house. Pots, pans, and plates clanged in perfect harmony as the two women dropped them in the sink. The two women then ran into the hallway with sneaky smiles on their faces.

Katherine shot them a look to get lost, but they continued towards the other two girls anyway.

"What are you three doing here?" Rebekah asked, suddenly scared of the upcoming confrontation.

"Does she suspect anything?" Bonnie whispered to Katherine. Kat just shook her head.

"Oh dear," Sage said dramatically.

"This is freaking me out. Can I just go back outside?" Rebekah tried to push her way down the hallway. She rolled her eyes, _if there was a convention, shouldn't Caroline be leading it?_

But then she realized what Sage, Bonnie, and Katherine all had in common.

They were mothers.

Nausea. Food cravings. Appetite decrease. Need to pee. Increased sex drive. Bloating.

Her eyes widened as she remembered she was ten days late for her period.

Her hand flew to her stomach. Was it possible to just feel your stomach and instantly know something alive was moving around inside of you? As if some magical current was pulling your two life forces together?

Rebekah slowly turned around to face the three other girls. She shook her head frantically. "No. I can't be..." Her voice lowered into a whisper. "Pregnant." She paused. "Oh, God. I could be."

"We were just suspecting.." Bonnie began rambling. "We're not saying that you are-"

"I'm late," Rebekah interrupted.

"Oh my god," a smile spread across Bonnie's face. "That's so exciting! Aren't you excited?"

Sage elbowed Bonnie in the ribs. "We don't know anything for sure," the redhead hissed.

"Should one of us go get a test?" Katherine asked.

"I'll go," Bonnie said. "I'll say we don't have dish soap and we can't wash the dishes." When the other three gave her strange looks she explained, "How else will we explain what took us so long to wash the dishes?"

"Good point," they all agreed.

"Should someone tell Caroline? I hate leaving her out," Bonnie said.

"No!" Rebekah almost shouted. "That girl cannot keep a secret. She'll blab to Matt or even my brothers before you can even make it to the car."

Bonnie sighed. "Fine. I'll go after s'mores. Emma and Kol will kill me if I miss out on the most delicious part of camping." The other three girls laughed before the group of four made their way back to the campfire.

...

After the campfire, everyone returned to their rooms to crash. Rebekah sat on her bed, flipping through the pages of an outdated magazine. Matt was beside her, trying to read a book about business management but his eyes kept slooping shut. It was a really long flight, and an even longer day.

Rebekah took this moment of him being distracted to study him. His dirty blond hair still wet from the shower, curling in weird places from not being combed yet. His wide forehead crinkled as he scrunched his eyes in attempt to stay awake. His baby blue eyes, a beautiful and innocent trademark of his, focused so heavily on the words that they seemed to be going through them. The arch of his nose, and the lines of his lips. The scar above his lip, at the corner. She loved to study his face when they kissed, but they were always preoccupied she never got to stare for too long. She thought she had everything about him memorized, from his face to his body to his soul, but she still found herself learning something new every day. She loved that about their relationship. They tell each everything, but a new habit can show up at any moment or one of them remembers a funny story from their childhood or a fun fact they forgot existed and it's like the beginning of their relationship all over again, with a new and exciting and exhilarating event each time they saw each other.

"You're staring," he whispered groggily.

"At least you're not sleeping. Now, that's creepy," she joked.

He let out a tired chuckle. "Why aren't you tired? You're sick."

"Who says I'm sick?" She asked, feigning innocence.

"I do. You've been acting sick for days now. I'm worried about you."

"He says as he dips farther into dreamland," she hummed.

"Oh shushhhh," he draws out the last syllabul as sleep overrules him, dragging him into the land of unconsciousness.

_He looks so cute when he sleeps, _Rebekah thought dreamily. (Don't look at her. She's allowed to still be in the honeymoon phase. After all, they _are_ still on their honeymoon).

And yes, Rebekah _is_ tired, but she's too anxious waiting for Bonnie to come back from the drug store with the pregnancy test to even _think_ about sleeping.

She wondered, that is if she really was pregnant, what kind of parents they would be? Would they have a little boy or a little girl? What would they name their child?

They should have a little Henrik or a little Victoria, she decided. In honor of her brother or his sister.

At least they were good siblings. Who knows if they'd be good parents? Neither of them really had any parents. All they had were their siblings. They're good at that. Acting like a brother or a sister for their friends. Could they pull off being somebody's mum and dad?

Rebekah thought of Matt playing tea party with Emma, chasing Christian around the football field, reading Tate a bedtime story, and she thought _yes_. She imagined Matt holding their child for the first time and grinning from ear to ear like he had on their wedding day. She imagined him taking their daughter to the father-daughter dance, and teaching their son how to play football. He'd show their kids how to stick up for themselves, and each other. If their daughter wanted to play baseball or if their son wanted to play with barbies, she could picture him running to the toy store and buying her knee pads and him a dollhouse. If their daughter wanted to be a musician, he'd buy her a guitar, a cello, a piano, a drumset, whatever she wanted. If their son wanted to be an artist, he'd buy him his first paint set. She could imagine family dinners and holiday parties, and their child playing with their obnoxious, yet adorable, little cousins.

She always wanted a baby, she didn't understand why at first the thought of being someone's mother scared her. Thinking of how well they've put their life together made her believe anything was possible. Sure, they haven't talked about kids so soon after the wedding, but she knew it was in their future. Why not now?

She imagined herself rocking her child to sleep and reading them a bedtime story. One with evil princes and dancing fairies and heroic maidens. She would teach her daughter to stand up for herself and not let anybody take advantage of her. Tell her that nothing was ever her fault, and that she had a right to say no. She would teach her son to not only respect women, but everybody around him.

Their child would have blonde hair and blue eyes like the two of them, an exact clone of the two of them put together. Their child would be shy and reserved like Matt, or loud and fierce like Rebekah. Or maybe a combination of both: chaotic and wild, but still always willing to do the right thing and help everyone. Chaotic and wild with no reason to hurt anyone, just have fun.

She could see it now. She didn't know why she just conjured up scenarios of a child that may or may not be growing in her stomach. That would make it hurt a lot more if the test turned out to be negative. She rested her hands on her stomach. She knew something was moving in there. _She could feel it._

...

Rebekah woke from her trance when someone knocked on her door. She sat up on the bed as the door creaked open slightly and Bonnie's head peeped in. She noticed Matt asleep, so she motioned for Rebekah to meet her in the bathroom. The blonde quickly nodded and got up, throwing on her bathrobe, and sneaking out the door.

Rebekah met Bonnie in the bathroom and closed the door tightly behind her.

"You got it," she said, staring at the drug store bag. Her eyes stared eagerly at the bag, as if she was being delivered a baby and not a little stick that will _tell_ her whether she's having a baby or not.

Bonnie pulled the test out of the bag and nodded. "People are still so judgemental at the the counter."

"Sorry.." Rebekah said sheepishly. "I should have gone to get my own stupid test."

Bonnie shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm happy to do it." She shot the younger girl a smile. "After all, I like to think of us friends."

"Bonnie, you're my brother's girlfriend. You're family."

Bonnie's grin grew wider. "So, I guess I'll leave you to it? Unless you want moral support?"

Rebekah thought about how Matt was sleeping in their bedroom, completely unaware that she was even considering the thought of her being pregnant. She wanted to share this moment with him.

The blonde blinked, her eyes glancing at the door and then slowly moving towards her friend. "No, I think I got this. Thanks." Bonnie nodded, giving the blonde a quick smile and a squeeze of her hand for encouragement, and then she slipped out the door towards her own room.

Rebekah took a deep breath and then turned the knob, entering the room she shared with her newly wedded husband. Matt was sound asleep on the bed, his quiet snores were the only source of sound in the room. While Rebekah used to loathe her brothers when they kept her up at night with their snoring, she finds Matt's snores adorable and endearing. She loves listening to his snores because it lets her know that he's still breathing and that everything is all right.

"Matt," she whispered as she crawled onto her side of the bed. "Matt!"

He made an incoherent mumble and waved his hand as if shoving away her voice.

"Matt..." She slowly shook him.

He turned over to face her and opened one eye. "Yes...?" He asked groggily.

"I have something important to discuss with you," she admitted.

"I'm tired, can't this wait?"

Rebekah glanced at the floor before looking into her husband's tired, blue eyes. She shook her head. She felt tears well up in her eyes and she didn't know why. Yes, this would be hard, but she thought she realized she would be happy about having a baby. She thought she would be all escastic and excited. Now, she realizes she's scared. Her and Matt never talked about children this early. All of the doubts she pushed away earlier came flooding back: what if they're not good parents? What if they can't do this?

Matt instantly sat up after seeing his wife's tears. He lifted his thumb to wipe the tears away. "Beks.. What's wrong?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

Matt's hand froze on her face. His whole body froze.

"Rebekah, I am so tired and cranky, this better not be a joke.."

"Its not, I swear. I have all of the symptoms. Bonnie went out and got me a test, but I didn't want to take it without telling you first."

His thumb then returned to making circular motions on her cheek. "I love you," he grinned, leaning forward to kiss her.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered. "We don't even know if I'm pregnant."

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head. "If you are, then I'm so happy. I love you so much, and I will love our child until the end of the earth, even after that. But if you aren't, then that's fine. We have our whole future ahead of us to have a kid. I love you, Rebekah Donovan. I've wanted a family with you since the moment I met you. I've seen how you are with kids, you will make a fantastic mother. I want a family with you, and if you are pregnant now, although it wasn't in our immediate plans, I could not be happier."

Tears continued to fall from Rebekah's blue irises, but these were tears of joy and relief, not fear or sadness.

"I love you so much." She smiled through her tears as she cupped his face and kissed him.

...

"How many minutes does it take?" Matt asked after Rebekah exited the bathroom. She had just taken the test, and now she entered the bedroom to await the results with Matt.

Rebekah glanced at the directions on the back of the box. "Three minutes," she answered.

"Those will be the longest three minutes of my life," Matt said.

"How do you think I feel? I'll be the one carrying the baby!" Rebekah slapped his shoulder with the box.

Matt held his hands up in defense as Rebekah sat down beside him at the edge of their bed.

Matt noticed Rebekah suddenly got quiet.

"Are you okay?" Matt rubbed soothing circles on his wife's back.

She nodded. "I'm so happy, I really am, but a part of me is still scared..." she admitted.

Matt nodded in agreement. "I am, too. This is a big responsibility. But I know we can do this. This baby will be the best part of you and me."

Rebekah smiled. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I've been told," he joked.

"How did I get so lucky?"

"Nah, I'm the lucky one-"

"Okay, ew, we're turning into one of those cheesy couples. Stop this right now."

Matt broke out laughing. He then placed a comforting kiss on Rebekah's forehead.

"Has it been three minutes yet?" he whispered.

"I think so.." She stood up and entered the bathroom, Matt following behind her. They reached the sink, where Rebekah had placed the test. She picked it up as she held her breath. She couldn't close her eyes and wait, she needed to know. She stared at the test until her vision focused on the two pink lines.

Two lines.

"Two lines."

"Two lines? Does that mean you're pregnant?" Matt asked.

Rebekah took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant," she confirmed.

Matt broke out into a huge smile. Rebekah dropped the test in the trash and smiled. They looked at each other for a quick moment before Matt ran to her, picked her up, and spun her around. Rebekah giggled uncontrollably until he set her back down.

Matt kissed her nose before leaning down to her stomach. Rebekah eyed her stomach in the mirror: flat and tiny, but still held another human being. Matt lifted her shirt so he could place a kiss above her belly button.

"Hi baby Donovan, it's your dad. Your mom and I love you so much and cannot wait for you to get here."

...

"Mommy... Mommy..." Emma whispered as she crawled into the bed that Bonnie and Kol were sound asleep in. "Kol..." she poked the brunette's shoulder.

Kol groaned and turned onto his other side.

Bonnie was slowly regaining consciousness. She opened her eyes and was greeted by her daughter sitting above her smiling down at her.

"Emma?" Bonnie asked. "What's wrong, honey?" Bonnie sat up and tucked a piece of her daughter's hair behind her ear.

"I'm fine, I was just lonely," Emma said.

"It's one in the morning, Em," Kol said as he sat up. "Are you sure you didn't have a bad dream or something?"

Emma pretended to think about it. "Okay, fine. I dreamt that a scary monster came to eat the two of you. I was just checking to make sure you guys were alive."

Kol chuckled. "How can she make something so traumatizing so adorable?"

Bonnie shrugged and gathered Emma in her arms. She kissed her daughter's hair. "No monsters will ever come to eat me or Kol. There are only good monster who would invite us over for dinner. There is nothing to be afraid of, I promise."

"I hope so," Emma whispered. "I just can't fall back asleep..."

"Who says you need to sleep?" Kol smirked.

"I do," Bonnie glared at her boyfriend in the dark. "She's five, she needs her sleep. Dear, I need my sleep."

"I say we play a game to help us fall back asleep," the youngest Mikaelson brother suggested.

"Can I play?" Emma perked up.

"Why, of course," Kol tickled the little girl, making her giggle and shove his hands away. "But that means you'll have to sleep with us..."

"I don't mind!" Emma exclaimed. Her excitement dwindled as her mouth widened in a yawn. "I'm tired..."

"I guess we have to play that game, now," Bonnie smiled as she helped the five-year old settle under the covers between the two adults. "Kol, how do we play?"

"First thing is to name five things you can see, feel, and hear, then four, then three, and so on-"

"I want to go first!" Emma announced. "I see darkness, but I know that if there was light I would see two of my favorite people. I would also see the windows and the walls and the suitcases and the door... What's the next thing?"

"What you can touch," Kol answered.

"I can feel the bed sheets, the pillow, my pa.. my paj..." Emma's voice faltered as sleep overcame her.

After a few moments of silence, Bonnie whispered, "Is she asleep?"

Kol waited a moment before answering, "I think so."

"Good. Now I'm tired-"

"Wait, darling, you haven't done your turn yet."

Bonnie rolled her eyes although she knew that he could not see it. "Fine... Five things I can hear... I hear the heater, the wind outside, some sort of beeping... Uh, I can hear Emma breathing, which is one of my favorite sounds if I'm being honest. It makes all my worries fade away when I hear her and you breathing in your sleep. I know that everything is alright."

No response.

"Kol?"

A light snore was the only sound that came from him. Bonnie sighed. "Idiot," she rolled her eyes, but with a smile on her face.

She closed her dark green eyes and fell asleep to the sound of her daughter's and boyfriend's breathing.

...

The next morning, Elijah poured himself some freshly brewed coffee. He sat beside Klaus at the kitchen table, who was sketching a secret portrait.

"Morning, brother," Elijah greeted his younger brother. "What are you drawing?"

"No, thanks, I already ate." Klaus didn't even hear the words that came out of his older brother's mouth.

Elijah chuckled and took a sip of his coffee. "I hear there's going to be a huge storm tonight-"

"Oh, that's lovely."

"Niklaus... Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course, why do you ask?" Klaus finally tore his eyes away from his sketchbook.

"Wow, you finally answer the question I asked."

"What do you mean?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

Before Elijah could answer, Caroline entered the kitchen with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning my wonderful family!"

"Why are you so happy, love?" Klaus smiled at his fiancé.

"Isn't she like this everyday?" Katherine groaned as she followed the blonde into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with your rocker?" Caroline asked.

"One, I miss my babies; and two, my manager is probably screwing over my job."

"Why?" Caroline asked.

"The bitch wants to go a different direction. She thinks we should sign a contact with People Magazine or some overused company."

"Won't change be a good thing?" Elijah asked his wife.

"This isn't what I want to do. It's my clothing line. I think we should go forth with creating our own magazine, but my manager thinks it's a waste of time and money. But to help with the money problem, I feel like we should create more clothing lines besides the typical women and young girls. I want to add a maternity line, a toddler's line, and even a men's line. But she doesn't think it's worth it."

"That's dumb. It's your line," Caroline agreed.

"And she never lets me be involved with the business aspect of the sales! She thinks I'm stupid, I swear."

"That's not right. You're one of the smartest women I've ever had the pleasure to know. You're not just a pretty face with a good fashion sense," Elijah added.

"I knew there was a reason I married you," Katherine grinned.

"So what are you gonna do about the bitch?" Klaus asked as he shaded his sketch.

"Fire her," Caroline suggested.

"I wish," Katherine said.

"Become your own manager. Your company is super successful and you have some brilliant ideas, you can totally make it on your own."

"But I don't have the time now, that's the thing. I'm a mother!"

"If anyone can make it work, you can," Elijah leaned across the table to squeeze Katherine's hand.

"I also want to open a store in Mystic Falls. We have stores in other big shot towns and I just manage the designs from home while my manager does everything from New York, but I can't do this anymore. I want to own a store. I want to expand it so it doesn't just sell clothes and accessories. I want to expand the audience of who shops there. I don't know, I just want to do so many things with this company but she won't even listen to me."

"Kill her," Klaus joked.

"I would if that wouldn't be considered murder," Katherine answered.

"Since when do you care?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I remember you screaming bloody murder on Elena back when you met her," Caroline added.

"You hated me, I'm sure if looks could kill, I would have been dead a long time ago," Klaus agreed.

"Ditto. We hated each other," Katherine said.

"We still do," Klaus nodded.

"Shut up."

"Go die in a hole."

"Please," Elijah warned two of his favorite people. "Is this what we'll have to deal with every morning for the rest of this vacation?"

Klaus and Katherine looked at each other before looking at Elijah and in union say, "Yes."

Elijah sighed. Before he could respond, Emma and Tate came running in.

"Look outside!" Emma squealed.

"It's snowing!" Tate exclaimed.

"It looks like it's gonna come down pretty harsh," Finn said as he entered the kitchen.

"We need to go play outside!" Tate jumped up and down excitedly.

"No, a storm is coming.." Elijah said as he observed how fast and hard the snow was falling from the sky.

"Yikes," Freya said as she looked out the window when she joined her family in the kitchen.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Caroline stood up. "We're supposed to be camping, and then a snow storm comes rolling in."

Freya laughed and shook her head. "Nah, it's fine. Being snowed in is actually quite fun. I'm sure we can find some fun activities."

"Good morning wonderful family!" Rebekah grinned as she and Matt walked into the kitchen.

"What are you guys so happy about?" Elijah smiled at his happy sister.

"It's just a beautiful morning," Matt answered.

"Guys!" Bonnie screamed as she ran into the room followed by Kol. Sage and Hope had seen Bonnie run through the house and decided to follow the commotion. Now everyone was standing in the kitchen awaiting the news. "The weather report says that the storm is picking up real fast. Miles from here people have been trapped inside their houses, the wind has even knocked over cars and buildings. It's wicked bad. We need to take cover."

"What does that mean?" Freya asked.

"We won't be just snowed in... This will cut electricity, heat, everything," Elijah explained.

"Do we have enough non-perishable foods?" Sage asked.

Caroline and Bonnie started rummaging through the cabinets.

"I think so," Bonnie stated. "This lock in shouldn't be for more than twenty-four hours, but it's best to be safe."

"Where exactly are we going?" Rebekah asked.

"There's a basement we'll be safe in," Matt said.

"We don't even know if it's going to hit us!" Katherine exclaimed.

"Better safe than sorry," Finn shrugged.

"Everyone go get your stuff and retreat to the basement," Bonnie ordered.

"Can I bring some games to keep us entertained?" Hope asked.

"Of course, sweetie," Caroline smiled at the young girl.

"What's happening?" Tate asked, fear clearly showing in his face.

"Nothing drastic," Sage assured her son. "We are going on an adventure."

"An adventure?" The young boy asked skeptically.

"Yes. You know how in those games you like, the good guys hide out so they can prepare for battle with the bad guys?" Kol asked his nephew. Tate nodded. "Well, we are just hiding out for a little while, but we can still do epic things like sword fighting and prepare for battle."

"Really?!" Tate cheered.

"Really?" Finn glared at his youngest brother.

"What? You gotta spice things up for the little ones," Kol shrugged.

"Well, I'm telling him to stab you first," Sage muttered.

Kol rolled his eyes.

Within five minutes, everyone had gathered their stuff to the basement. Within that short time span, the snow picked up tremendously and the lake they swam in just yesterday had frozen over. They could hear the wind slamming against the walls of the house, howling like a wolf in the night. Despite being inside with the warm heat, they could feel the bitter cold pinch their skins and they could taste the ice on their breaths.

"How the hell does this happen?" Katherine groaned as she plopped down on the couch. "It was a nice day yesterday, this weather is so fucking bipolar."

"Language," Klaus teased.

The Bulgarian princess rolled her eyes. "Alaric won't answer my calls. I hope my babies are alright."

"And Jenna and Alaric," Elijah reminded his wife.

"Oh, them, too," Katherine agreed. "But the twins more."

Elijah shook his head, laughing lightly.

"Well," Kol gathered the attention of his family. "What shall we do n-"

_Boom. _

An explosion went off.

Screams and cries of shock sounded through the basement.

_Flicker. Boom. Click._

The room went dark.

* * *

**Oh no! Their evacuation (I can't think of another word, sorry my brain is dead) took a dangerous turn! Will everyone be okay? Why did the weather change so suddenly and drastically? How long will they be in the basement?**

**What family chaos will arise while they're stuck there? Will Rebekah and Matt reveal their news? Why was Klaus so distracted with his drawing? What is he drawing? What will happen with Katherine's company?**

**Okay, next chapter will be the last chapter of this little vacation! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I seriously thought this chapter was already up but oops. I don't even know when I will next be able to update, but I hope soon. I've just been so busy, but I need to spend some time writing, not just this story but my other private stories that are possible ideas for future books. It's funny: I have all these books planned and outlined in my head, but I just don't have the time to sit down and write them. **

**So what do you guys think about the Mabekah baby? Are you excited? I miss Mabekah... I miss Rebekah in general lol. **

**Anyway... Please review! Until next time :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! I meant for this to be up two weeks ago, but I only had half of it written! Again, sorry for the delay- I've just been trying to read as many books before I got _more _for Christmas (which I did so I feel very accomplished!) and then I binge watched HTGAWM (great show btw, anyone else watch it?) and baked vegan cookies and pancakes on my days off so far this break. Speaking of... How was everyone's holidays? Mine was okay, pretty low-key. Not the same without my dog or my nieces. BUT I GOT A BREADMAKER! I'm just very excited about my breadmaker... I'm such a hippy- more proof? I'm in my school's horticulture club and I am already so proud of my sprouted crops as if they are my children. **

**Anyway... I have not seen the latest two episodes of TVD yet, but I did watch TO and can I just say: I. Hate. Klamille. But. That. Does. Not. Mean. I. Hate. Cami. That is all. Oh, and I miss Kol and Rebekah (again!). But did anyone else get the nice Mikaelson family feels during that Christmas scene? Dudeeeee, that was seriously all I wanted in life. **

**Okay, so this is another little happy, fluffy, family chapter! I am going to update the next chapter very soon because it is already planned out and mostly written (and I have time this week to write!) so be tuned for that!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 85% of these characters.**

* * *

"Is everyone okay?" Elijah asked, his voice echoing off the darkness.

A chorus of "yes" and "I guess so" surrounded the basement.

"What was that?" A tiny voice that everyone recognized as Emma asked.

"I think the storm snapped a tree branch that crashed into the power poll," Finn answered. "It cut the electricity and shortened all of the fuses."

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked. She inched closer to whomever human being was two feet away. "Will we freeze down here?"

"We shouldn't," Matt said as he flipped on the generator. Lights illuminated the dark basement, and the click of the heater being turned on filled the room.

"Oh, that's good," Rebekah sighed in relief.

"How long are we going to be down here?" Bonnie asked.

"As long as we need to, I guess," Elijah answered.

"Sorry your birthday didn't turn out quite like you planned," Finn said to his youngest sister. Freya sat upon the big box in the corner of the room. She shrugged.

"It's fine. All I've wanted for the past four years was a family... I don't care what we do, as long as we're together. This is by far the best birthday I've had in a while."

The Mikaelson siblings all shared a smile. They were glad they could make their newfound sister's birthday special. They knew firsthand from their childhood that while they couldn't always give the most extravagant gifts, they always had each other. Now, they had more than each other, but the lesson is still there. Being surrounded by the ones you love means more than anything materialistic could ever mean.

"I'm not gonna cry," Rebekah said somewhat sarcastically as she hopped onto the box next to her sister. She wrapped the younger blonde in a tight embrace. She could feel tears of merriment pool her eyes. "I'm so emotional, I'm sorry, but I love you. That was so sweet."

"Are you okay, Rebekah?" Freya laughed as she patter her sister's shoulder.

Rebekah didn't let go, but nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Kol laughed. "So while they're hugging, what shall we do now? We can't just sit here."

"I brought games!" Hope cheered. "I brought Monopoly, Sorry, Connect Four, Life-"

"What is this, throwback to the nineties?" Katherine asked.

"I miss the nineties," Bonnie said sadly.

"Hey, I'm listing the games here!" Hope scolded the two adults. She finished listing the fifteen games she had Klaus and Caroline help her drag down. "I don't care what we play as long as Daddy and Caroline are on my team."

Caroline grinned as Klaus hooked an arm around her shoulders. He kissed her hair.

"I vote on playing Twister," Kol announced.

"Noo, that's too dangerous," Sage argued.

"It's fun!" Tate agreed with his Uncle Kol.

"You don't have to play, Sage," Rebekah said. "I'm going to sit this one out."

"Why?" Klaus asked his sister. "Afraid of losing?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I _never _lose," Rebekah glared at her brother. "I _always _kick your ass." She turned to Kol. "And yours, too."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, darling," Kol smirked.

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"So we should make four teams of three, then?" Bonnie asked. "If Sage is sitting out with Rebekah?"

"Oh, I'll play. I just don't want Tate getting hurt."

"He'll be fine if he plays the kids' round," Bonnie assured her.

"I don't like being in close body spaces," Katherine said.

"That's hard to believe," Kol teased.

"Brother," Elijah glared at his youngest brother.

"Joke," Kol held his hands in defense.

"Not funny," Bonnie and Katherine both said.

"Sorry," Kol apologized.

"Anyway," Katherine said as she hopped onto the box next to Rebekah. "I'll sit out with ole' Bex here."

"You're older than me," Rebekah pointed out.

"Shut up," Katherine stuck her tongue out.

"Okay so whose on whose team?" Caroline asked.

"You, me, and Hope are obviously one team," Klaus announced as he pulled his two girls to his side. "My girls are going to win."

"Offended!" Rebekah and Freya shouted. Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Sage, Tate, and I will be a team," Finn said.

"Kol, Emma, and I will be one, too," Bonnie added.

"So that leaves Elijah and me with the birthday girl," Matt finished.

"I'll be the spinner!" Rebekah said. She told Katherine, "You can be the caller. Like, calling if someone is off the dot or whatever."

Katherine shrugged and examined her nails. "As long as I don't break a nail."

Rebekah chuckled as she took the spinning wheel from Hope. "Okay. You guys ready?" Everyone got into their teams. "Freya's team goes first, and this can be the kids' round because she's the smallest on her team."

Freya laughed and nodded. "I'm going to win."

"We'll see about that!" Hope exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're going down!" Emma yelled aggressively.

"I don't care if it's your birthday, you're gonna lose," Tate grinned evilly.

"Jesus, these kids have a dark side," Freya remarked. "I'm so scared," she feigned being scared for the kids.

"Freya, left hand on blue," Rebekah announced.

Freya put her left hand on blue.

It was Hope's turn next. Right foot on yellow.

Emma. Left foot on yellow.

Tate. Left hand on red.

Freya. Right hand on green.

Hope. Left foot on green. This put Hope squatting over Freya.

Emma. Right hand on blue. As she tried to bend over Freya and Hope, she lost her balance and fell.

"Aww, come on! No fair! I demand a recount!" Kol shouted. Bonnie patted his shoulder gently.

Emma shook off her loss and skipped back to her team. "I'm fine. I know Kol will beat them next time." Kol grinned as he plotted an evil way to win his round.

Bonnie smiled and picked up her daughter. "She's such a good sport." She kissed her daughter's hair.

"Tate. Right foot on red," Rebekah called. Tate followed suit.

Freya was to put her left foot on red.

Hope was to put her right hand on green, putting her in an awkward bridge above Freya's elbow.

Tate was to put his left hand on green, but since his right foot was all the way across the mat on red, he was too small to reach, so he collapsed and lost. "Aww, man!" He pouted as he rubbed where he fell on his butt. "I lost."

"Next time you'll get them, honey," Sage opened her arms for her son.

"It's all down to Freya and Hope," Katherine announced.

"Come on, Hope!" Caroline cheered. "You can do it!"

"If you don't win, I am shipping you back to your mother," Klaus teased.

"Oh, no you won't!" Hope screamed. "Auntie Bex, spin the wheel!"

Rebekah spun the wheel for Freya's turn. "Right foot on green."

"Are you kidding me? That's impossible," Freya muttered. She attempted to place her right foot on green, but it caused an uncomfortable cramp in her leg so she slid her arms from under Hope and surrendered. "I give up. Hope wins."

Hope jumped up and cheered, "Yay, I win!" She ran back to her team and high fived Klaus and Caroline.

"I knew you could do it," Klaus hugged his daughter.

"How could you?" Matt pretended to be upset about his team losing. "You could have made that."

Freya shook her head. "No, I couldn't have."

"You did your best," Elijah patted her shoulder.

"She lost to an eight year old!" Matt cried.

Kol burst out into laughter. "You lost to an eight year old!"

"Shut up, Kol. Like you could do better," Freya challenged.

"Oh I could," Kol accepted. "Brothers, it's our round."

"Why do you guys get to go?" Caroline asked.

"Because we're having a rematch from a game-"

"That happened fourteen years ago, get over it!" Finn shouted at his youngest brother.

"I will never get over it," Kol said with all seriousness.

Finn sighed. "You're twenty-five. You need to get over it. It happened when you were eleven."

"You're the eighteen year old that tripped me."

"Finn played dirty?" Sage gasped.

Finn gave a look to his wife. "We don't speak of it."

"Yes, we do!" Kol shouted. "He was an unfair child. I demand a rematch."

"Then you'll get one, brother," Finn gave in.

"Kol, you realize that you won't win, right?" Klaus asked.

"Here we go again..." Elijah muttered.

"Oh, I believe I will.." Kol smirked to himself.

As the four Mikaelson brothers started their game, Bonnie started chewing her nails in apprehension of what Kol will do to win. She saw the look on his face and knew he had been scheming a diabolical plan to beat his brothers. When the time came, she could only hope that Klaus won't bite his head off. She would never understand how competitive this family could get, and that it's already reached the next generation.

"Kiyah!" Kol battle called as he swept his right leg from the green dot to the red, swiping all of his brothers off of their feet.

"Kol!" Finn, Elijah, and Klaus all whined as they land in uncomfortable, awkward positions.

Rebekah and Freya broke out laughing, while Katherine and Sage tried to stifle a chuckle. Caroline gasped, and the kids just giggled. Bonnie sighed and put her hand on her forehead in shame at her boyfriend's cheating.

"I win!" Kol cheered.

"That's not winning. That's cheating," Finn said.

"I'm too old to be knocked off my feet," Elijah groaned.

"You're twenty-nine and just had twins you're going to be chasing around for the next 18 years. You're not old yet," Klaus said as he stood up. "And Kol... I should have known you would've done something like this."

"I learned from the best," Kol grinned down at his eldest brother. "It took me fourteen years of planning, but I got my revenge."

"And you took Niklaus and I down with him? That's nice," Elijah glared at Kol.

Kol shrugged. The brunette then pumped his fist in the air for victory.

"I think this game is getting too competitive..." Caroline started.

"Yeah, why don't we choose a new game?" Matt suggested.

"We should do karaoke!" Caroline encouraged.

"Yes!" Bonnie agreed.

"Hate to break it to you, but we don't have the machine. Or music," Katherine pointed out.

"We don't need it," Caroline said.

"Of course you don't," Rebekah smiled.

"Can we have a dance party, too?" Emma asked.

"I'm hungry!" Tate cried as he rubbed his stomach.

"Woah woah, one thing at a time," Bonnie shushed. "First: has everyone had breakfast?"

More than half of the room said no.

"Okay, so why don't we have breakfast for those who haven't eaten yet, and then afterwards we can have people provide the music for the dance party?"

"Dance party during karaoke, I like the way you think," Freya grinned as she rummage through the pile of food Bonnie and Sage gathered from the kitchen. She picked up a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. "I'm in the mood for a peanut butter sandwich. Anyone else?"

A few minutes later, everyone was sitting in a circle occupied with their peanut butter sandwiches. They sat in silence, except for the kids blabbering about anything.

Matt gently touched Rebekah's knee. She stopped picking at her sandwich and glanced at him through her eyelashes. She raised her eyebrow, questioning what he wants.

He mouthed _we should say something. _

She mouthed back _no. _

_Why not?_

_Because..._

_Because why?_

_I don't know._

Matt sighed exasperated.

"That was a very dramatic sigh, Matthew," Caroline teased.

"Well, this day is very dramatic," Matt answered. "Do you guys think the storm will cause too much damage? How long do you think we'll have to stay here?"

"I hope not too much longer. The forecast said we'd only be in the center for a few hours. I'd say by mid afternoon someone could head upstairs and check," Kol said.

"What time is it?" Katherine asked.

"10:30," Finn responded.

"As much as this vacation has been nice," Katherine started. "I miss being home.."

"You miss your babies, we know," Klaus tried to say it in an annoyed way, but he ended up smiling at Katherine. "Now that I'm a dad, I know what you mean. It's so weird... but so great." Caroline reached for his hand and smiled.

"I hope we can have our own bundle of joy one day." Caroline leaned her head against her fiancé's shoulder. "I also just hope my mom is there to see it. And our wedding."

"Oh, yeah, how's your mom doing, Care?" Bonnie asked her best friend.

"Not well."

"Then that baby and wedding better come fast," Kol joked. Caroline threw a paper plate at him.

"I'm just sad. I miss her so much already." The usually so bubbly blonde could feel a waterfall of sadness rushing through her body.

"We all do," Elijah said quietly.

"Well... Things got depressing..." Rebekah stated. She looked at Matt, who nodded and smiled. "Matt and I have, well, exciting news."

"You guys are moving far far away?" Kol said hopefully.

"No," The blonde spat at her brother.

"We hope this news can brighten the dark mood we've set for ourselves here," Matt began. "And I'm sure this isn't the way Rebekah wanted to say this but-"

"I'm pregnant!" Rebekah exclaimed.

Caroline and Freya squealed, Bonnie and Sage clapped and grinned, and Katherine declared, "I knew it!"

"What does preg-nate mean?" Tate asked.

"It means Auntie Bex is having a baby!" Emma squealed.

"Another cousin?" Tate clarified.

"Yes," Hope said.

"Yay!" Tate sounded excited before shoving a bite of his sandwich into his mouth.

Freya was hugging her sister, while the Mikaelson brothers just stared at Rebekah for a moment.

"You're having a baby?" Finn asked. Rebekah nodded.

"Wow, that's wonderful news!" Elijah smiled. "Congratulations, sister, Matt."

"Congrats," Finn agreed as he hugged Rebekah and shook Matt's hand.

"Y-you're having a baby?" Klaus repeated.

"Yes," Rebekah laughed.

"But you're my little sister, you can't grow up." Klaus was shocked at the pout on his own face.

Rebekah chuckled. "Oh, dear brother, I'm already a grown-up. We all are."

"Yeah, yeah," Klaus shook his head and picked a piece of crust off his bread and threw it at her. "Congrats, guys," he smiled.

"Kol?" Matt asked the youngest Mikaelson brother.

"You? A mom? That's scary," Kol finally said. Rebekah threw something at him. "What is with people throwing things at me today?"

"You're an idiot," Bonnie said simply.

Kol rolled his eyes. He looked at his sister and her husband. "I took so long to answer because my brain somehow hadn't registered that you two are married and have been together for seven years. I was almost prepared to kill Matt for knocking up my sister," he explained.

"Well, thanks, I feel so welcomed," Matt said sarcastically.

"No problem," Kol grinned.

"This is so exciting!" Caroline exclaimed. "Another little miracle joining our family."

Klaus beamed at his fiancé calling his family _ours. _Rebekah shot her brother's fiancé a smile.

"When did you guys find out?" Elijah asked.

"Last night," Matt answered.

"After our input, of course. They can't take all of the credit," Katherine announced.

All of the guys plus Caroline and Freya gave Katherine incredulous looks.

"Kat, Bonnie, and I have been pregnant before so we noticed Rebekah's symptoms before she did," Sage explained.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I would have figured it out on my own, thanks."

"Have you guys started planning anything, or are you just too excited to think? Wait, you guys are excited, right?" Finn asked.

Rebekah laughed at her eldest brother. "Of course we're excited, dumbass. And I have a little picture in my head.. If that doesn't sound too cheesy."

Matt patted her knee and told her, "It's not too cheesy."

"You've gone soft!" Kol accused his sister.

"Don't start this again," Rebekah groaned. "Can we change the subject?"

"How about that dance party now?" Bonnie suggested.

"I need some exercise to burn off those peanut butter sandwiches now that I'm not playing baseball," Kol said as he stood up. "Emma! Wanna be on my team?"

Emma jumped up and threw her half-eaten sandwich on her cousin. "Yay!" She ran to Kol and he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, leaving her hanging upside down. She giggled and pounded on his back, shouting at him to let her down.

Bonnie smiled and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend and daughter. She turned her head and asked her best friend, "Caroline?"

The blonde turned to her brunette friend and grinned. "Three-year-champs back again." The two girls fist pumped then stood up.

"Guys, you're all going to lose," Matt announced. "Caroline and Bonnie will sweep all of your asses to Canada."

"I'd like to see them try," Klaus grinned. "Beks, you up for being my teammate?"

Rebekah pretended to be exasperated. "God, Nik. Can't you do anything by yourself?"

"Matty Blue-Blue!" Katherine exclaimed. "You can be on my team! Hope already claimed my husband."

Matt's eyes widened. "Freya?"

"Taken," Finn answered.

"And I'm with my little fireball," Sage added.

Matt groaned as Katherine grinned. She laughed at him and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry. I won't let you down."

Matt smiled. "Sure."

"To make things fair for everyone, Bon and I will sing during the first round," Caroline said.

"We're supposed to sing, too?" Kol asked.

"I thought we agreed on that?"

"Fine. What song?"

Caroline shared a look with Bonnie. The brunette answered, "I think you guys will know this song, if you have any taste in awesome early 2000's tv series."

Bonnie went through her phone to find a karaoke version of this specific song. The cell signal isn't the best in the basement, but she has barely used data on her phone that she might as well take advantage of. She let out a little squeal when she discovered the app had the song.

_ I Don't Want To Be _by Gavin Degraw echoed through the basement. Soon Caroline and Bonnie's voices joined the karaoke music, but were soon underheard due to the stomps and steps of everyone else dancing.

Hours passed of bad karaoke and even worse dancing, laughter and fun, stress-free times. Tate was the first to be wiped out due to exhaustion, slowly followed by Emma, and then Rebekah. Hope laughed that her Aunt got tired before she did, but then continued to yawn. The eight-year old said she was just going to sit down and close her eyes for a minute, but then her snores echoed throughout the basement, making everyone laugh.

Katherine sighed. "Matty Blue-Blue, I'm going to collapse now, so catch me or I will hurt you when I wake up."

Matt held out his arms and Katherine fell into his arms trust-fall style. Katherine laughed and stepped away from the blonde. "Knew I could trust you."

Matt rolled his eyes and gently pushed her shoulder. "I think we won the dance-off," he said loudly.

"No way," Kol argued. "Emma and I did."

"I think even though I epically failed, Freya definitely won," Finn said.

"Nuh-uh, she can't get birthday votes," Klaus disagreed.

"It doesn't matter who won," Bonnie said as she wrapped her arms around Kol's waist. "We had fun, didn't we? And it distracted us for.." She checked the time on her phone. "Almost three hours."

"Are you serious?" Elijah's eyes widened. "We've been doing this for almost three hours?"

"Which means we've been down here for about five hours," Sage confirmed.

"Do you think the snow storm passed?" Freya asked.

"I don't know," Caroline shrugged. "Who wants to go check?"

"I will," Klaus volunteered.

"I'll come with you," Caroline said. She turned to her friends- _family, _"We'll be right back."

Caroline and Klaus disappeared up the staircase. Caroline reached forward to grab her fiancé's hand. They fingers laced together as Klaus's other hand turned the knob to the main floor. They stepped into the hallway of the lakehouse. Turning down the hallway into the living room, they looked out the windows.

"Woah," Caroline's breath hitched.

"Yeah, woah," Klaus agreed.

Outside was like a winter wonderland. The storm was either not as violent as they feared or it was and just left a beautiful disaster in its place. Five feet of sparkling white covered the previously crisp green ground. The lake had been frozen overnight, but was now nowhere in sight, buried deep beneath the thick earth cloud blanket. The lively trees were dusted in ivory snowflakes, only the tops being covered making it look like broccoli wearing marshmallow hats. The bright blue sky shimmered with the sun beating down on the earth, making the snow glitter like diamonds. A light fall of snowflakes was the only remaining evidence there was a storm, if it was even a storm.

If it was a dangerous storm, then it cleaned up beautifully. There was nothing more enchanting and magnificent than how the earth looks so soon after snow falls from the sky. It looks so cold and inviting most times, but this was just so captivating and alluring, like it was really a winter wonderland.

"Where was this during Christmas?" Caroline breathed.

"I have no idea.." Klaus blinked. "I need to paint this. It's beautiful."

Caroline smiled as her fiancé rushed to their room to gather his paints and canvas. She sighed and walked closer to the giant window. She was snapped out of her trance when Elijah shouted up the stairs.

"Is everything alright up there?"

"A tree didn't fall on your heads?" Katherine added.

Caroline laughed and yelled down the stairs. "All clear! It's beautiful!"

She heard distant shuffling of their items and their kids before she heard footsteps on the stairs. Bonnie and Kol were the first to materialize at the top of the stairs.

"What, are you a-" Kol started but stopped when he noticed the snow outside. "Bloody hell."

"What the hell? That wasn't a dangerous storm," Sage said.

"Maybe it was, but it left this masterpiece in it's wake. Sometime the most disastrous things can be beautiful," Elijah explained.

"It sure is beautiful," Bonnie breathed.

Freya smiled and placed her hand on the glass. "Can we go play out there?"

"After the kids wake up and we have lunch," Finn answered.

"Oh please, brother. We're big enough to go play on our own without lunch," Kol grinned.

"And who needs kids as an excuse to play in the snow?" Rebekah asked.

"No one's going outside yet!" Klaus shouted. "I need to pain this without anyone out there tampering with the landscape."

"Fine," Freya sighed. Her stomach growled. She perked up at the mention of food. "So, what _are _we having for lunch?"

...

"KOL!" Rebekah shouted after she was pelted with a snowball to her face. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Can't kill me if you can't catch me!" Kol stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh yeah?!" Rebekah gathered an armful of snow and took off after her brother.

"Be careful, Bekah!" Matt worried about his pregnant wife.

"Oh shut up!" Rebekah threw a tiny ball at her husband before resuming to chase her brother.

Bonnie laughed and leaned her elbow on her childhood friend's shoulder. "We fell in love with crazy people," she stated.

Matt chuckled and rubbed his hands together to warm up from the bitter temperature. It might be beautiful outside with the sun shining and the glittery snow, but it was still _freezing _cold.

"Can't argue with you there."

A few feet away Katherine and Elijah were lying in the snow staring up at the clear, crisp, open sky. Despite having on heavy snowsuits, it still took a lot of convincing for Elijah to get Katherine to do snow angels with him. He eventually convinced her, and then she complained how cold and wet the ground was. As they made their angels, they began talking and haven't moved in minutes.

"I wish Hayden and Sophia could have been here," Katherine spoke.

"Me too. But they're too young to remember their first snow," Elijah pointed out.

"I know, but still. It's been such a nice weekend with our family, but it's not _complete_, you know?"

"It _is _your family's lakehouse. Why don't you, me, and the twins come back up in the summer, or even when the twins are a bit older to enjoy the experience?"

Katherine lifted her head to look at her husband. "Really?"

"Of course."

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting her head fall back into her snow pillow. She then muttered, "I can't wait to go home and fire my manager."

"You're going to take a stand?" Elijah asked.

"Duh. Have you met me?"

Elijah smiled, full of pride and love for the woman lying beside him. He reached his hand over to grab hers. "You will be fierce and wonderful."

"I know," she smirked.

"I love you."

Her smirk turned into a heartwarming smile. Her cool exterior, despite the frosty scenery and chill beneath her body, melted away. She ruined their snow angels as she turned on her side and pulled him onto his. Their lips crashed together, their bodies entwining in a snow-covered embrace.

"Ew," Klaus fake-gagged as he and Caroline sipped hot cocoa on the porch.

Caroline hit his shoulder. "I think they're sweet."

"Of course you do," he smiled. He then set down his cocoa, and took hers and set it down, too. He laced their hands together and pulled her toward him. "I didn't get to dance with you during our dance party," he whispered in her ear.

"It wasn't that kind of dancing," she answered as she locked her hands at the nape of his neck. Her fingers gently played with his hair. "This dancing requires a beautiful, wintry scenery. Or a ballroom. But I can handle the snow."

He laughed at her joke, and twirled her. He pulled her closer to him and breathed in her scent. She smelled like cocoa and cinnamon. He laced his fingers through her long, blonde hair. "Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?"

"My hair?" A bright smile appeared on the blonde's face. "What's so great about it?"

"It's golden, wavy, soft, like a waterfall... I don't know, I just love it."

"You're a sap," she grinned.

"Nah, I just love you."

He had twirled her once again, but in a more complicated move. He had pulled her back to him more abruptly this time, making her gasp in surprise. She then broke out into a smile, making him smile too. "I love you, too." She took charge and kissed him.

"Get a room!" Kol shouted as he jumped on the porch and used Klaus and Caroline as a shield against Rebekah's incoming snowball.

The snowball hit Nik right in the neck, making Caroline giggle.

"Sorry Nik!" Rebekah apologized. The split second she took to apologize to him, Kol used it to pelt her with another snowball. Her demeanor changed once again. "Kol!" She shouted as she took off running after him, again.

"Crazy kids," Klaus shook his head.

Meanwhile, on the skirts of the woods, Finn and Sage were with the _actual _kids, helping them build snowmen. Freya's was certainly the most appealing, but the other kids' were adorable. Hope then wanted to make a snow reindeer, and that was a difficult task for everyone as they helped.

"Your brother needs to stop making your sister hurtle around the lake. She's not five, and she could hurt herself or her baby," Sage told Finn.

"She'll be fine. She's only a few weeks along, right?" He asked as he attempted to put the antlers on the snow reindeer.

"I got it," Freya volunteered. "Leave it to me." She stood up, pulling her sleeves up and cracking her knuckles. "Wish me luck." She then took off running after Kol and Rebekah. Freya quickly passed Rebekah and was catching up to Kol.

"What are you doing? Go away!" Kol shouted as Freya almost caught up to him. He steered her around, trying to throw her off his tracks, but she was too quick and too smart.

"Nope!" Freya shouted back.

He was leading her back to the snowmen. Kol made the mistake of looking behind him to see where she was, because then she jumped on his back. The shock of her weight caused him to lose his balance, and then they crashed on top of the snow reindeer.

"Kol!" The kids and Finn cried as Sage and Rebekah broke out laughing.

"Don't _Kol! _me!" Kol groaned. "Freya jumped me!"

Freya giggled as she rolled off her brother. "I didn't mean for that to happen. Sorry."

"It's okay, Kol probably deserved it," Finn admitted.

"Hey!" Kol sat up.

"Hey, kids, aren't you upset Uncle Kol ruined your snow reindeer?" Finn smirked.

Hope, Emma, and Tate grinned evilly.

"No." Kol held his hands out in surrender. "I'm sorry! Please, no more attacks on me. I'm a good person-" He was cut off as three young children jumped on him and attacked him back to the ground.

Freya, Finn, Rebekah, and Sage continued to laugh as Bonnie and Matt jogged up to them.

"What happened over here?" Bonnie asked.

"Kol-ey destroyed our snow reindeer!" Emma exclaimed.

"How could you, Kol?" Matt cried. "Bonnie, you're dating a monster."

"I don't even know who you are anymore," Bonnie tried to sound disappointed but then she broke out into a fit of giggles.

"It's Freya's fault!" Kol exclaimed.

"Yeah, blame the birthday girl," Freya accused.

"But it is your fault."

"Kol, just let it go," Rebekah patted her brother's shoulder. "I totally won our snowball fight. Thanks, sister." The older Mikaelson sister shot her younger sister a thankful smile.

"No problem," Freya smiled back.

Tate wrapped his arms around Kol's shoulders as Emma sat on his lap, and Hope stood up.

"What are we doing now? I'm getting kind of cold," Hope asked as she shivered from the cold. Her clothes being damp from the snow does not help the temperature problem.

"Should we make another campfire? To warm up?" Matt suggested. He raised his eyebrows at the birthday girl.

Freya nodded. "Sounds good."

As everyone started walking back towards the house, Hope grabbed Freya's hand and pulled her off to the side. "Are you having a good birthday weekend?" the little girl asked.

Freya smiled and nodded. "Can you keep a secret?"

The young blonde nodded eagerly.

"Only because you're here," Freya told her niece. Of course, Freya's birthday was special because everyone was here. She had a big family to spend special occasions like this with, which made her incredibly happy. But she felt some sort of pull towards Hope- both of them being a part of this family yet separated from them for a good chunk of their lives. They found the Mikaelsons later in their lives than they should have, but they were both immediately welcomed into the family.

Hope grinned and hugged her Aunt. "Happy Birthday, Auntie Freya."

* * *

**Eh, I didn't know how to end this. But I hope you liked it! A nice wintry chapter :) not that I like snow, but I would have liked SOME for Christmas! Apparently Canada just got their _first _snowfall of the year today? And my region is supposed to get some on Tuesday. Whatever.**

**And please excuse the inaccuracies of a beautiful sunny day perfect for swimming one day and then a winter wonderland the next day. If anything, that'll probably happen this week in Massachusetts lmao.**

**And someone wanted a Klaroline scene, threw a little one in there for ya ;)**

**Okay, so I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow so stay tuned! More things happen, and yeah, I think you guys will like it :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm back! Roughly twelve hours later, it's a miracle! So now we're done with the fluffy family scenes (well, not _completely_) and we've brought in some drama. I have no other news as nothing has happened since I went to bed at one and woke up at eleven and have been writing since then. So enjoy the chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: Why do I do this to myself? I honestly give up on these shows. I don't own them.**

* * *

Rebekah awoke from a deep slumber as she felt the weight of the bed shift. She groaned and buried her head under the pillows.

"I don't want to get up," she mumbled.

Matt chuckled and leaned over to kiss her shoulder. "You don't have to. It's your day off."

Rebekah sighed in relief. "That's right." She then lifted the pillow off of her. She opened one eye to glower at her husband. "Wait, why are you up so early?"

"It's not early, it's nine o'clock."

She jumped up, which gave her a head rush. "Oh god... That hurt."

Matt rubbed her arm and advised her to lay back down. "Slow down, babe. Want me to make you some pancakes?"

Rebekah perked up at the mention of food. "With strawberries, peanut butter, whipped cream?" He nodded. "And bacon?" He chucked and nodded.

"You got it-"

"And a pickle!"

Matt's face scrunched up in disgust but quickly dismissed the pregnancy cravings. He's gotten used to it. Rebekah has been obsessed with dried mango slices with hummus.

"I'll be right back," he told her as he kissed her forehead. He then disappeared from their room.

Rebekah leaned back against her pillow and reached over to pick up her phone. No missed calls or messages. She wanted to go back to sleep, but her bladder suddenly felt like it was about to combust. This baby has been acting as if her bladder was some sort of jungle gym.

As Rebekah made her way to the bathroom, she thought about how soon she will get to meet her and Matt's unborn child. Three months have passed since they found out about her pregnancy. When they had their first ultrasound after they returned from Barcelona (they obviously had to finish their honeymoon before settling back to Mystic Falls), they discovered she had been five weeks pregnant. Now she was twenty weeks pregnant, and the young couple had an ultrasound revealing the gender of their baby later this week. Rebekah was getting more excited for their child each day. Granted, more nervous each day, too. But the happiness and giddiness overpowered her nerves.

After she washed her hands, she made the habit of lifting her shirt and admiring her stomach. She gasped when she noticed how bloated her stomach became over just one night. It wasn't this big last night!

"Matt!" Rebekah screamed.

She heard footsteps running up the stairs and then the bedroom door barged open.

"What's wrong?" Matt breathed, a spatula in his hand.

"I'm fat," Rebekah pouted.

Matt sighed. "No you're not. You're beautiful."

"You're just saying that."

Matt walked over to his wife and kissed her forehead. "No, I'm not. You're carrying our child, and you look magnificent. I promise. You're not even that big."

She gave him a pointed look.

"Honest!"

She rolled her eyes.

"I got to go finish your breakfast before the house burns down-"

"I change my mind, I want fruit and bread for breakfast."

"We're not in Paris anymore, and you. are. not. fat."

Rebekah plopped back down on the bed. "Whatever."

Matt shook his head and laughed.

...

Caroline knocked on the front door to her childhood home. When no one answered, she took out her key and let herself inside.

"Mom?" Caroline called.

"In here," she heard her mom's voice croak from the bedroom.

Caroline couldn't feel her toes as her feet dragged her down the hall to her mother's bedroom. Her heart broke as she entered the room and saw her mom lying in bed, buried in blankets and books and food wrappers.

"Mom, you can't be eating this junk..." Caroline said sadly.

"What's the big deal? I'm dying anyway," Liz answered.

"No, that's not okay. Don't say that," Caroline scolded. The young blonde felt tears brim her eyes. "You're not allowed to say that, do you hear me?" She sat on the edge of her mother's bed. "Don't leave me."

Liz cradled her daughter's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, yet. I still have some time."

"Not a lot. It's a miracle we've gotten this much."

"And I have enjoyed every minute of it," Liz smiled. "You took me to New York, to Broadway, to the beach down in Florida, to many places, you've taken me to your favorite childhood places. Honey, every moment you're not at school or planning your wedding, you're with me. And I love you for that. But live your life."

"I am living my life. I went out with my friends last night, like you told me to."

"That's great, honey. What'd you guys do?"

"Bonnie, Elena, and I went out for drinks and then we saw a movie."

"That's nice. What movie did you see?"

"The Avengers."

Liz laughed. "No romance movies for you girls? That's all you kids watched during your movie slumber parties."

Caroline broke out a smile. "Yeah, we grew up. Romance movies are great from time to time, but action is great, too. Not to mention; the Avengers are hot."

Liz laughed again. She patted her daughter's hand. "That's my girl. So, how's your wedding coming?"

Caroline nodded. She reached into her purse and pulled out a big book. "That's actually why I came over. Nik and I have finished planning everything, from bridesmaids to flower arrangements to wedding cakes. I would like you to look through it and tell me what you think. If you have any changes, or if your think it's perfect. We would really love your input, Nik really wants your input."

"That's so sweet, Care. Of course, I will look through it. Do you guys have a date?"

"The end of June."

Liz nodded. "I will _definitely _be there."

Caroline observed her mother's fragile state and wished she wouldn't make promises she can't keep. She had to stop herself from bursting into tears or else she would get another lecture from her mother about how death is a part of life and how Caroline was going to have to say goodbye sometime and not to get too upset about it. Well, excuse her for being upset about her mom _dying. _It's a hard thing to process, and no matter how much time she's been given to prepare, she doesn't think she'll ever be ready.

"Good," Caroline finally said. "You and Daddy will give me away."

"Where is your father anyway? Isn't he coming down soon?"

"Yes," Caroline answered. "My graduation is in two weeks, so he's coming down for that and then staying until the wedding."

"That's great that you'll have him around. I know you miss him."

Caroline nodded. She _does _miss her dad. Of course she does. But him leaving gave her a chance to become closer to her mom. At this point, she'll miss her mom more than she misses her dad. But then again, her dad isn't _dead. _He just lives out of state.

"So, what's up with the _angel _spawn?"

"Mom!" Caroline exasperated.

Liz wasn't the most acceptive person of Klaus's long-lost child, which was super confusing for Caroline. Hope was the sweetest little girl, and fell in love with Caroline instantly, and vice versa. Caroline has honestly felt like a second mother to Hope, and is glad the young girl sees her that way, too. But Liz was skeptical about Hayley and Hope, for reasons Caroline couldn't muster. Liz did have to admit; Hope was a sweet and smart and talented child. But she wasn't her granddaughter. She liked Hope, don't get her wrong, and all of this time getting to know her and hearing Caroline's stories had helped her case, but she still makes these kind of jokes, which annoys Caroline to no end.

"I'm kidding. How is Hope?"

Caroline sighed. "She's good. She slept over last night. Nik took her bowling and out for ice cream."

"And the mother?"

"You know Hayley and Jackson moved here."

Hayley and Jackson got all of their shit together around the end of February, completing the move to Mystic Falls shortly after. Jackson found a job as a landscaper, and Matt agreed to hire Hayley as a bartender until she could find something better. She hasn't.

But Klaus and Caroline have been generous with Hope. They take her every weekend, even some weekdays. The other Mikaelsons even take her for a night or two sometimes.

Hayley has blended right back in with the Mikaelsons, her and Rebekah becoming close friends once again. April and her have even become good friends. So have her and Katherine, for reasons no one will ever understand.

Klaus realized Hayley was telling the truth when she said they had nothing back in London. They lived in a shabby old apartment- Hope had spent most of her time at Marcel's or Cami's. Hayley's boss was a creep, she was happy to quit and leave. Jackson had lost his job shortly before the wedding, and Hope's school wasn't providing the special attention Hope needed. Hope was diagnosed with ADHD a year ago, and the school that she is enrolled in now- a prestigious school outside the border of Mystic Falls that Klaus pays for with the help of Elijah and Caroline- is aware and extremely helpful to kids like her.

The only thing that could have kept that small family back, was the larger family they had there. No, not Hayley nor Jackson's family- who were either dead or deadbeat- but the group of people that were all brought together by the Mikaelsons all those years ago. But they all agreed that moving Hope closer to Klaus was the best thing for her. Except, maybe, Jackson. But the dude needs to get over it. He's working on it.

But it's not an entire loss. Davina, Kaleb, Cami, and Marcel recently moved to New Orleans. It's not right around the corner, but it's not too far.

"I know they moved here," Liz laughed. "I was just asking how Hattie was."

"Her name is Hayley. Why don't you like her? I like her."

"I don't know, to be honest. She just kept Klaus's child from him for eight years, and I guess from your mother's point of view: I just don't want you to be hurt."

"Why would I be hurt?"

"She's your fiancé's ex-"

"Mom, we've been over this. They didn't have any feelings for each other. They were not together. They hated each other most of the time."

"Oh yeah, _hate_. That's how that little girl was born."

Caroline shot a glare at her mother. "They're just friends now. Hayley is happy with Jackson. And Klaus is happy with me. Why can't you just leave it alone?"

"I'm just a concerned mother whose cancer has made her irritable, I'm sorry. And maybe... I just like to get under your skin." Liz laughed while Caroline stared at her mother. "I like teasing you. You're so defensive about Hope and Hayley. They're both sweet girls. I mean, to be honest, I didn't trust Hayley that much at first, but who did?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Whatever, mom. I have to go. I'll be back later," she kissed her mother's cheek. "Don't forget to look over the book!"

"I won't! Love you."

"Love you, too." And then a flash of blonde hair exited the bedroom.

...

Stefan walked along the streets under the bright May sun. He was stressed about his upcoming surgery- his _first _surgery that he was performing by himself. He wasn't nervous, per say, just anxious. Once he gets this over with, he will be able to go into these type things no problem. He's participated in many heart surgeries, but he was just an apprentice. The other doctors agree that he is ready. He feels ready. He just needs a quiet walk along the streets of his town to clear his mind. He performs the surgery tomorrow. But today? Today, he's going to relax. He's going to breathe.

He finds himself stopping at his favorite bench. Although a girl already occupied a seat, he sat beside her and closed his eyes. The sun beat down on his face, his body, embracing him with warmth. He's so glad how nice it's been lately. This past winter was _horrible. _He thought he'd never feel a temperature of above forty degrees again.

"You seem worried, are you alright?" The girl beside him woke him from his trance. "Either that, or you're relaxed and calm. Or maybe both."

Stefan turned his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Both," she decided. Seeing his face, she apologized, "Sorry. I'm studying psychology, although I don't _want _to. I just need to get a good grade on this report, which is reading the emotions of people around me. Sorry if I was weird, or scary-"

"No, it's fine," Stefan chuckled. "You were actually spot on. I am worried about something- although, not worried. I'm not sure what I'd call it.. I can't be _worried_. But this beautiful day helped me relax. So, no; you weren't wrong."

"Oh, well, awesome!" The girl laughed, which for some reason made Stefan's heart skip a beat. Her laugh was like a simple song, one that he spent his whole life searching for. Now that he's getting a better look at this girl, he noticed her long brown hair cascading around her shoulders in waves like the ocean. Her soft brown eyes sparkling in the sun, her pale white skin soft and young. Her nose straight, and her lips pink. She wasn't the most attractive girl in the world; more simple looking, but still beautiful. The fact that she wasn't exceptionally beautiful made her more alluring. Her intelligence and her laughter and, from what he's seen in the past two minutes, kindness made her more beautiful than her exterior.

Her smile faded as she noticed him staring at her. "I mean, not awesome that you're worried about something. That can't be good."

Stefan nodded. "Eh. I'm just performing my first independent heart surgery tomorrow. No big deal."

"Wow, you're a doctor? That's amazing. Hard work, huh?"

"Yeah. But it's worth it. What about you? You said you don't want to study your major?"

The girl shrugged. "My step father chose this career path for me. I didn't know what I wanted to be and I was running out of time. Not that if I did have a career path in mind would I have been able to pursue it: my step father wants me to follow his footsteps. He's so controlling." She glanced at Stefan. "Sorry. Too much information."

"No, it's okay. I like talking to people. I like talking to you."

"You just met me. We don't even know each others' names."

Stefan took a deep breath. "Then let's start over. My name is Stefan Salvatore."

The girl smiled and hooked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Valerie. I'm Valerie."

Stefan held out his hand. She shook it. "Nice to meet you, _Valerie._"

...

Sage sat on the bathroom tiles, puking her guts out. Not the most pleasant part of her day, or her week.

She groans as her brain wracks through possibilities of her illness. A part of her hopes it's a stomach bug, but another part of her hopes it's something else. That _something else_ is what is causing a dark hole in her stomach. She is pretty positive that _something else_ is what's going on.

That _something else_? She's pregnant. Again.

She knows it. She's been pregnant before. She knows how this feels, she knows how this goes.

She's pregnant.

Sage stood up, wiped her mouth, and brushed her teeth. She looked into the mirror at her pale face. Auburn hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. Why was she being so worked up about this? Finn will be ecstatic. Tate will be thrilled to be a big brother.

Is she excited to be a mother again?

The mirror was big enough to see her stomach. The turned sideways and lifted her shirt. She rested her hands on her flat stomach. She pressed into it and arched her back. It was a tiny bit swollen. She smiled as she rubbed tiny circles on her stomach. Another baby was in there. She was going to be a mother again.

She was happy.

But her smile faded as she realized she wasn't positive. Her brain could only be making stuff up. With Rebekah's baby coming, and Elijah's twins growing up so quickly, it made Sage enter baby fever. She wants another child. She hadn't spoken with Finn about it, but the way he looks at Hayden and Sophia, Sage knows he wants another one too.

Sage sighed and bent down, breaking into the cabinet beneath their sink. Don't ask her why she already has a box of pregnancy tests sitting under the sink. You're never too sure when you might need one.

Five minutes later, Sage was sitting on top of the toilet seat, anxiously waiting for the results of the pregnancy test. Will it be positive? She wishes it will be.

She hopes she has a little girl this time.

Despite Tate being a monster- although, he has cooled down since he turned three- she knows he will make a great big brother.

_Ding._

Her phone timer beeped. The results are in.

Should she look before Finn gets home? He should be home any minute. It would be unfair to find out without him.

No, it's actually not.

She braced herself as she picked up the test.

_Positive._

A smile broke out on her face. Tears of joy clouded her vision. She wiped them away.

She was pregnant again. Finn and Sage were having another child.

Her happiness surged when she heard the front door of their house open and her husband announce he was home. She threw the pregnancy test in the trash and ran down the stairs. Finn had just set his bag down on the couch so he could take off his coat. He barely got one arm out when she jumped into his arms.

"What-" Before he could finish his question, Sage shut him up with a kiss. The kiss was abrupt and quick, but passionate and full of love. Finn had tried to back her against the door, but Sage had patted her hands on his chest, a signal they had worked out that meant _no. _

She pulled away from the kiss with a smile on her face.

"Not that I'm complaining..." Finn started. "But what was that about?"

She took a moment to catch her breath. Her anxiety, her running down the stairs, and then the kiss all worked together to escape air from her lungs in the past few minutes.

"I'm pregnant."

Finn took a moment to comprehend what his wife just told him. "You're pregnant? Again?" A smile spread across his face.

She nodded.

He made a noise of excitement as he picked her up and spun her around, making her laugh and squeal. "This is great news!"

He set her down and they kissed again, this time slower and sweeter. They were interrupted when they heard light footsteps tip toe down the stairs. They looked over their shoulders and saw Tate at the bottom of the stairs.

"What's all the excitement?" The three year old asked.

"Tate, you're supposed to be in bed. You're sick," Sage said. She didn't have the heart to scold her son at the moment.

"I heard screaming and squealing. What's going on?"

Finn and Sage shared a smile.

Sage stepped forward and bent down so she was eye level with her son. "Sweetie... Daddy and I have exciting news."

"Am I getting a puppy?"

Finn shook his head and laughed. "Even better."

"A car?"

Sage chuckled. "No. Mommy's pregnant. You're having a little brother or sister."

Tate's bright blue eyes widened. "Really?" His parents nodded, both smiling like idiots. "Wow, that's so cool!"

Sage laughed as Finn picked up their son and tossed him in the air. The little family forgot about Tate's illness as they celebrated a new addition to their family.

...

Katherine admired the final product of her very own masterpiece. Her store.

After firing her manager three months ago, all of her employees agreed to stay with Katherine. Although Katherine was scary and some people hated her, their manager was even scarier and _everyone _hated her. They found resources and sponsors in order to expand the company; Katherine broke out her lines of maternity clothes, children's clothes, and men clothes and they turned out to be a hit. She used her family's money to hire a new branch of employees and start their very own magazine, which released its first issue last week. They already made twice as much as it cost to put it out there.

Katherine found talented apprentices in her employees to go to the major fashion labels in New York, and to take care of the stores everywhere else. They all call her everyday to give her feedback, all of which have been great news so far.

And now Katherine is able to manage her own shop from home. When she's not managing her store, she's designing new clothes to fax out to the company that makes the clothes. She has to fax out at least one new design for each line every week. She usually designs while she's in her store because she has two exceptional new employees to handle customers.

Because when she's not working, she's spending all of her time with her babies.

Hayden and Sophia are almost six months old. Sophia tried to crawl the other day, but then rolled over like a potato. Hayden loves to giggle nonstop and created a habit of putting his whole fist in his mouth. Katherine is so glad everything with her job has been working out, because this way she's doing everything she wanted to do. She's her own boss, her employees listen to her, her business sales are better than they _ever_ were thanks to _her_ ideas, and there's no raging bitch manager to tell her what to do. Nothing could go wrong.

_Ding._

Katherine looked up from her prom dress design and almost dropped her pencil when she saw who entered her store.

Her manager. _Ex-_manager. Who she hasn't seen in three months. She's been extremely quiet since Katherine began all of these renovations. But now that everything was finished and finally calming down, Katherine was like prey to a lion.

"Katerina," Aurora greeted with a fake smile.

"Aurora," Katherine nodded.

Aurora pranced along the shop, running her fingers through linings and along windowsills, inspecting the store. "_Love_ what you've done with the place."

"No, you don't." Katherine stood. She regretted telling Nadia and Rose they could have the day off. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Why, I'm here just to check up on you. You fired me and made then made all of these renovations to our company-"

"_My _company!" Katherine growled.

"_Our _company. It was my money that put you where you are now. I paid for fashion school, I sent your designs to that contest, I helped you start your website in high school-"

"Why are you doing this?" Katherine asked. "You never listened to my ideas and I thought they were great. I got you out of the way, and look at what has happened. My ideas are flourishing. _My company_ is flourishing. _Without you_."

Aurora huffed.

Aurora and Katherine were best friends growing up. When Katherine hated her parents, she found comfort in Aurora. They were inseparable. Aurora always knew how talented Katherine was and did everything she could to help her friend get noticed. Aurora came from money, and while Katherine did too, Katherine didn't know until she was seventeen. When Katherine got the choice to start her own company, she hired Aurora as her manager to deal with all business things, as long as Aurora agreed to do everything Katherine said. Aurora started out as a great compliance, but then she started going crazy and changing things without permission. She hated everything about Katherine's new life in Mystic Falls. She refused to get to know Elena or Elijah or Caroline. She isolated herself. Katherine and Aurora's friendship blew up in the process, but they had to remain professional and work together. Aurora took this as means to corrupt the company from the inside and not allow any change. Katherine figured out what she was doing and got rid of her.

And no one blames her.

Except Aurora, of course.

"You did this to yourself," Katherine told her old friend. "You didn't even try to be apart of my new life."

"You moved away! You moved away and barely contacted me until you suddenly needed my money to help your company."

"I needed your money? Oh, honey. At that point, I found out I was a Gilbert and entitled to my own money. I called you because you were my best friend and you helped me so much when we were teens that I wanted to share this experience with you. But you took things too far and look at where that got us."

"I took things too far?"

"You were fine and happy one minute and then angry and jealous the next-"

"I have bipolar disorder, dumbass, that happens!"

"Whatever! You didn't even try to be a good person to my friends. You hated my husband from the moment you met him-"

"Because of what his family did to my brother-"

"I don't care what his family did to your brother. I don't even know what you're talking about, I doubt they even know what you're talking about, because you're a lying bitch."

"Did you ever mention my name to the Mikaelsons?" Aurora asked.

Katherine shook her head. "No. At that point, we were no longer friends and you were acknowledged as 'bitch of a manager.'"

Aurora rolled her eyes. "You can see me as the bad guy all you want. But one of these days, I will be back. And I will destroy you."

Katherine laughed. "Destroy me? How did this conversation escalate to that?"

"It doesn't matter how. You abandoned and betrayed me then screwed me over." Aurora turned to leave. Katherine just stood there speechless. "I know things about you Kat. Don't make me use them in court."

Katherine just stared dumbfounded at the door as Aurora left the building. Katherine sat back at her desk and rested her head on her hands. "What the hell was that?"

...

"So how are you settling in New Orleans?" Bonnie asked as she blew on her hot coffee.

Davina smiled and sipped her mocha frappuccino. "Things are pretty good."

Davina and Kaleb came up from New Orleans for the week because Kaleb and Kol made plans to see a baseball game in South Carolina. They'd be gone for a few days, and Davina decided to stay in Mystic Falls instead of waiting in New Orleans. She had enjoyed the quiet town when she was here for Rebekah and Matt's wedding. And she also enjoyed spending time with Bonnie. In fact, Bonnie offered to let Davina stay with her in the condo while the boys were gone. Kol at first argued against it; he was feeling weird about his current and ex-girlfriend having slumber parties while he was out of town, but then he got onboard with it. He just hopes they don't talk about him. But that's pretty much all they've been doing.

"You know, I've really enjoyed staying with you," the blue-eyed brunette told her friend. "I'm sad we live a thousand miles apart."

Bonnie laughed as they strolled down main street. "I know. But you and Kaleb are welcome up here any time. I know Kol misses you guys."

"We've missed him, too," the young girl said sadly. "I just feel guilty about everything-"

"Don't be. He's gotten over it. You guys are fine."

"Then why wasn't I invited to the ballgame?"

"Come on, they wanted a guys' weekend! And we got a girls weekend out of it."

Davina grinned. "True. It's just I was always invited to these things, even if I didn't even like sports."

"Boys are weird, and you guys are all older now. Maybe they've grown out of trying to annoy you."

Davina sipped her coffee. "Maybe." She stopped out front of a store. "Okay, let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"How green is so your color," the younger girl squealed.

Bonnie laughed as her new friend dragged her into the boutique.

...

Caroline ran up to the house she shared with Klaus with a huge grin on her face. As she turned the knob and entered the house, she was greeted by a tiny blonde fur ball.

"Hello Henry!" She cooed as she petted her dog. "You're almost a year old, do you feel old yet?" She teased as the dog attacked her face with kisses. The tiny animal soon got bored with his owner and skidded back to the living room. Caroline stood up and ran straight for the stairs. "Klaus!" She exclaimed as she ran up the stairs and down the hallway down to Klaus's studio.

Klaus turned abruptly when his fiancé barged into his studio. "Caroline!" He exclaimed. He chuckled when he saw the huge smile on her face. "What is it, love?"

She threw her arms around him. "Marry me."

Klaus chuckled again. "Love, I thought I already was."

She rolled her eyes. "I mean tomorrow."

His eyes widened. "I thought we agree on the end of June? That's almost two months away."

"And I can't wait any longer," Caroline shushed him. "My mom loves the book I put together. And I got a call from the officiant an hour ago, he said there's an opening for Saturday at three if we want it."

"That's not _tomorrow_, love," Nik teased.

"It's a week away, I know. But what do you say? Want to marry me next week?"

Klaus sighed and kissed her nose. "I have wanted to marry you since the moment I met you."

Caroline squealed and kissed him. His hands tangled them in her hair, while her hands brimmed the hem of his shirt. Her cold fingers touched his hot skin, making goosebumps appear on his body. Caroline giggled when he tipped her head back and he kissed her neck, his scruff tickling her skin.

The phone began ringing, but the happy couple ignored it. Then it rang again, and even Henry began barking. Klaus groaned as he stepped away from his fiancé. Caroline sighed as she walked over to her cell phone and picked it up. She answered the unknown number.

"Caroline Forbes cell phone, who's speaking?"

"Hello, this is the hospital. You're mother was admitted fifteen minutes ago."

* * *

**Oh no! What's wrong with Liz, now? Will she be okay? And what is up with this Aurora chick? Why does she hate the Mikaelsons? What did they do to her brother? What is up with her vendetta against Katherine? **

**And Sage is pregnant again! And will Stefan finally have a love interest? Will Rebekah and Matt have a boy or a girl? Stay tuned!**

**Now, I got to go work out and then read my book! I hope I will be able to update one more time this week, so see you guys then :)**

**Please review your thoughts xx**


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